ValueHealth and University Hospitals Announce Development of High-Value, State-of-the-Art Lorain Surgery Center

Mar 17, 2021

ValueHealth, LLC, the nationally recognized leader in Ambulatory Centers of Excellence (ACE)™ has expanded its surgical ACE footprint to include Cleveland-based University Hospitals (UH), one of the nation’s leading health systems. They today announced the first in a series of projects that will be developed through their new joint venture.

A new, state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center in Lorain County, Ohio will focus on orthopedic surgical procedures delivered using consumer-based models, with the capacity for 800 total joints cases per year. Powered by ValueHealth’s payor-led, tech-enabled, 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 ambulatory surgery center will be designated through ValueHealth’s nationally recognized Ambulatory Centers of Excellence (ACE)™ program with a Total Joint Replacement Certification, meaning it will not only exceed national accrediting standards, but it will also meet ValueHealth’s stricter clinical, quality, and financial measures. The center is slated to open in Q2 2022.

According to Eric Beck, DO, MPH, UH Chief Operating Officer, “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.”

According to James Voos, MD, UH Chair, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Head Team Physician, The Cleveland Browns, “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.”

Located at a yet to be announced site in Lorain County, part of the greater Cleveland area, the ambulatory surgery center is 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 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.

“This ambulatory surgery center will drive millions in cost savings for consumers and payors,” said ValueHealth CEO Don Bisbee. “As we continue to develop centers and expand on specialties that we offer, we’re not only bringing more value to the community — we’re also transforming the landscape of how health care is delivered.”

“Foundation Medical Group is excited to partner with UH and ValueHealth on this groundbreaking program. 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,” said Daniel Zanotti, MD, Chief of Orthopedics at UH Elyria Medical Center. “We believe this will revolutionize care in our area, and the Foundation Medical physicians are ready to lead the way with UH and ValueHealth.”