UCSF and Children’s Oakland to Jointly Operate Physician Foundation
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland have signed an agreement to jointly operate BayChildren’s Physicians (BCP), a pediatric multi-specialty physician foundation that previously was solely operated by Children’s Oakland.
The organizations’ aim is to create a new, robust network in which physicians can deliver the most advanced pediatric care close to their patients’ homes. The agreement will enable BCP to broaden its network and activities to include more Bay Area physicians and offer a wide range of practice options to physicians providing primary and specialty care for children.
Hospitals and physicians across the country are aligning to provide patients with more integrated care that results in better health outcomes at lower costs. aring for children requires a high degree of specialization and expertise, ranging from primary care to leading-edge therapies. It is critical that as premier pediatric health institutions, both Children’s Oakland and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital work together with community pediatricians to provide the best care for children in the Bay Area, according to the leadership of both organizations.
Steve Yedlin, MD, president of Children First Medical Group (CFMG), an Independent Practice Association of pediatricians and pediatric specialists, said he is looking forward to the expansion of BCP.
“At CFMG, we know the challenges facing practicing physicians, and for some time now have been seeking options for our members. We look forward to participating in the expanded network with UCSF and Children’s Oakland,” said Yedlin.
The BCP model of care will enable physicians to choose among a number of practice models and support services. The BCP medical foundation will provide a range of support services for participating physicians, including billing and accounting, human resources, contracting and other “back office” functions. By joining BCP, doctors also are integrally connected to a structure that facilitates sharing best practices and innovative approaches to care.
“Offering these services will enable participating physicians to focus on what they do best: care for children,” said Mark Laret, CEO of UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. “As the health care landscape continues to evolve, jointly operating Bay Children’s Physicians provides an opportunity to better support physicians in their medical practices and ensure families can access a broad network of the highest quality pediatric care providers in the region.”
“Children’s Oakland is the leading provider for children in Alameda and Contra Costa counties,” said Bert Lubin, MD, president and CEO of Children’s Oakland. “By jointly operating BCP we now can expand across the region with a robust pediatric network, enhancing access to care with our commitment toward pediatric-focused care.”
The agreement to jointly operate BCP is the next step of an affiliation agreement that was announced in August between Children’s Oakland and UCSF.
Subject to continued due diligence, consultation with regulatory authorities, and approval by the chair of the University of California Regents’ Committee on Health Services, that transaction is expected to close by early 2014.
About UCSF
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic biomedical, translational and population sciences, as well as a preeminent biomedical research enterprise and two top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.
About Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland
Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland is a premier, not-for-profit regional medical center for children in Northern California. Children’s Hospital Oakland is a national leader in many pediatric specialties and sub-specialties including hematology/oncology, neonatology, cardiology, orthopedics, sports medicine, and neurosurgery. The hospital is one of only two solely designated California Level 1 pediatric trauma centers with the largest pediatric inpatient critical care unit in the region. Children’s Hospital has 190 licensed beds, 201 hospital-based physicians in 30 specialties, more than 2,700 employees, and an annual operating budget of more than $350 million. Children’s is also a leading teaching hospital with an outstanding pediatric residency program and a number of unique pediatric subspecialty fellowship programs.
Children’s research program, Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), is internationally known for its state-of-the-art basic and clinical research, and for translating that research into interventions for treating and preventing human diseases. CHORI has 300 members of its investigative staff, a budget of about $50 million, and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 research centers in National Institutes of Health funding to children’s hospitals. For more information, go to www.childrenshospitaloakland.org and www.chori.org.