UH University Hospitals, ValueHealth announce Lorain County surgery center

ValueHealth LLC, the nationally recognized leader in Ambulatory Centers of Excellence, has expanded its surgical footprint to include Clevelandbased University Hospitals, one of the nation’s leading health systems.

On march 16, the organizations announced the first in a series of projects that will be developed through their new joint venture, according to a news release.

A new, state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center in Lorain County will focus on orthopedic surgical procedures delivered using consumer-based models, with the capacity for 800 total joints cases per year, the release said.

Powered by ValueHealth’s payor-led, techenabled, data-driven digital surgical platform that includes patient steerage, payor bundles, and warranty contracts, the surgery center will feature four operating rooms and post-surgery recovery Stay Suites that use a proven recovery model to reduce risks for patient readmission and post-operative complications, the release said.

The ambulatory surgery center will be designated through ValueHealth’s nationally recognized Ambulatory Centers of Excellence program with a Total Joint Replacement Certification, meaning it will not only exceed national accrediting standards, but it will meet ValueHealth’s stricter clinical, quality and financial measures, the release said.

The center is slated to open in April 2022, the release said.

Dr. Eric Beck, UH Chief Operating Officer, said, “University Hospitals is wholly committed to transforming health care in ways that advance the quality of care and the experience of our patients. This new venture with ValueHealth introduces Northeast Ohio to the benefits of truly value-based care delivered through a hyper-specialized, purpose-built model that is proven to improve outcomes for patients, reduce costs for payors, and optimize the excellence of our physician community.”

Dr. James Voos, chair, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and head team physician for the Cleveland Browns, said, “The high level of orthopedic specialization at this new center creates an ideal setting to deliver quality outcomes for our patients through reproducible care delivery by teams of surgeons and caregivers who are culturally, strategically and clinically aligned.

“Our goal is to raise the standard of excellence in surgical care.”

The ambulatory surgery center will be the first of several planned centers that will create convenient geographic access to meet the needs of the employers and payors in the market for improved care quality and guaranteed lower costs, the release said.

Lorain County location has not been selected.

The first total joints ambulatory surgery center in the region, the center will be a member of the Northern Ohio Value Network developed in collaboration with the region’s brokers, employers and insurers.

The facility will provide an option for patients to have a concierge total joints outpatient experience, as well as access to other specialties.

“Foundation Medical Group is excited to partner with UH and ValueHealth on this groundbreaking program,” said Dr. Daniel Zanotti, chief of orthopedics at UH Elyria Medical Center.

“The ability to combine the highest level of care with the potential for significant cost savings and efficiencies for patients is an amazing opportunity for our group of doctors.

“We believe this will revolutionize care in our area, and the Foundation medical physicians are ready to lead the way with UH and ValueHealth.”