Surgery
Group of Leading Manhattan Physicians Open One of New York’s Largest Ambulatory Surgery Centers
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Jan 10, 2012 - 4:33:41 PM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - NEW YORK, -- The Manhattan Endoscopy Center (MEC), which ranks among New York State’s largest Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC) based on patient cases, recently received New York State Department of Health approval and began caring for its patients this month. The center provides the latest diagnostic and therapeutic gastrointestinal endoscopic services, including colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, and endoscopic ultrasound. It brings together 17 of New York’s most experienced and respected gastroenterologists who are affiliated with New York’s leading hospital systems, including Lenox Hill Hospital, New York University Hospital and New York Presbyterian Hospital.

The opening represents the culmination of a two-year project which began when MEC’s management partner, Frontier Healthcare, and several lead physicians began assembling a distinguished group of doctors with a shared mission to provide the highest quality digestive care in a truly modern facility. The majority of the physicians previously performed their cases in an office-based setting, and the prospect of moving to an ASC represented an opportunity to share resources and talent in an industry-leading, safe, efficient and personalized environment.

“We see the ASC setting as the future for outpatient procedures, particularly in specialties like GI,” said Peter Kim, M.D., Board Member of MEC. “This center will provide a site of service that matches, if not exceeds, the stringent safety requirements and infection controls seen in a hospital setting and achieved through an efficient, cost-effective model, while providing for a thoroughly personalized patient experience.”

The move to an ASC setting is indicative of a larger trend in New York healthcare. While New York State currently has the second lowest number of ASCs per capita in the country, concern regarding office-based safety and infection control standards is resulting in a rapid shift toward the ASC setting. “The ASC allows physicians to maintain their autonomy while providing a standard of care and patient experience that exceeds that of a hospital,” said Jordan Fowler, CEO of Frontier Healthcare. “We expect that the New York migration of physicians from office-based settings to ASCs will continue over the next five years, driven by patient preference, the need for physician flexibility and NYDOH’s endorsement of ASCs as a premium outpatient venue.”

Located in midtown Manhattan on the corner of 44th Street and Fifth Avenue, the center is ideally situated to serve its patients in the tri-state area. The six procedure room facility is expected to see more than 15,000 patients in its first year and has partnered with a community organization to provide free or reduced charge care for its uninsured patients. The physician members are committed to using the facility as a platform to promote awareness of gastrointestinal diseases as well as to launch a charitable foundation.

“We are fortunate to have a group of physicians who share similar values and who believe that as leaders of the medical community, exceptional medical care is just part of our responsibility,” said MEC physician Jennifer Bonheur, M.D. “Many of our members already participate in various charitable endeavors. This center will allow us to bring together our resources and collective ideas to help serve the community through a new charitable organization which we are committed to establishing.”

The center was surveyed by the New York State Department of Health on Dec. 5 and received same-day approval, an exceptional achievement. “In my 35 years of surveying for the NYSDOH, I've conducted more than 5,000 surveys and this is the first de novo comprehensive development I've witnessed where a facility received an approval on the day of the survey with no issues," said Tennyson Ng, retired principal sanitarian of NYSDOH. The new facility is indicative of the physician’s approach to medicine and clinical care.

“From the inception of this project, our primary focus has been quality,” said Paulo Pacheco M.D., Board Member of MEC. “From selectively recruiting quality physicians who share a similar view of what patient care should be to making sure that all aspects of the facility and the center’s operation are state-of- the-art.”

In addition to performing procedures, many of the physicians are involved in teaching and clinical research and have written numerous articles in respected journals on topics ranging from the latest endoscopic techniques to new therapeutic modalities for various gastrointestinal conditions. The center’s Medical Director, David Robbins, M.D., will be responsible for quality assurance and is an assistant professor of medicine at New York University and the associate chief of endoscopy at Lenox Hill. One of the country’s leading advanced endoscopists, Gregory Haber, M.D., also at Lenox Hill, is among the group of talented physicians comprising the center’s core. The members have also focused on assembling an enthusiastic and passionate group of nurses and medical technicians who represent the center’s commitment to high quality patient care.

“While no one is certain how the shifting regulatory landscape will affect the healthcare industry, we believe that high quality ASCs such as MEC best position physicians for future challenges by combining a low-cost provider model with cutting edge technology and a new kind of patient experience,” said Frontier Healthcare’s Fowler. “It is a privilege to work with such a committed and talented group of physicians, and I am confident that MEC will set the standard for efficient, cost-effective and patient-focused care.”

About Manhattan Endoscopy Center

Manhattan Endoscopy Center is a state-of-the-art ambulatory endoscopy center dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare service, patient care and operational excellence. Formed by 17 New-York based physicians, the center strives for patient procedure excellence by providing the highest quality care with emphasis on patient satisfaction in a personalized, compassionate, professional environment.

About Frontier Healthcare

Frontier Healthcare partners with groups of physicians to develop and manage ASCs. Frontier manages the largest portfolio of ASCs in New York State, and its network of GI physicians represents more than 100,000 cases annually across almost 80 doctors, including some of the most well respected physicians in the tri-state area. Frontier manages the development process from start to finish, guiding its physicians through each part of the development process and, as a true partner to each ASC, manages and oversees each facility post-opening.

For further information, go to: www.manhattanendo.com

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