BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthPartners today announced that it will open a new $22-million, health specialty center at the intersection of Phalen Blvd. and Westminster Ave. in St. Paul in October 2005. The 130,000 sq.-foot, four-story facility, now under construction, will be the first large freestanding multi-specialty center in the east-metro area with fully integrated electronic medical record system between all providers in the building, Regions Hospital, and HealthPartners Clinics.
The new center is the cornerstone of HealthPartners’ growth strategy for specialty care. “Baby boomers are aging and are in greater need of specialty care,” said Mary Brainerd, HealthPartners president and chief executive officer. Demand for specialty care is exploding and we’re significantly increasing our specialty care services to stay ahead of the market.”
Patient care services at the new center will include adult medicine and 18 medical and surgical specialties including dermatology, endocrinology, general surgery, and orthopedics. In addition, the center will provide on-site Lab, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy and state of the art imaging capabilities including CT, MRI, PET scanner, and ultrasound services. More than 70 physicians and 300 employees will staff the center.
Over the next three years, HealthPartners Clinics will also expand specialty services at current clinic locations. To prepare for the expansion the organization recently hired 25 specialists in areas of increasing demand such as dermatology, neurosurgery, oncology, general and vascular surgery, podiatry, and plastic and re-constructive surgery and now has 300 specialists on staff.
New specialty programs in the HealthPartners system include a comprehensive bariatrics program, a new, state-of-the-art radiation therapy center at Regions Hospital, which now treats more than 30 cancer patients a day, and a four-bed sleep center. HealthPartners added a dermatologist who specializes in procedures for patients with pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions and two trauma and general surgeons. Plans call for expanding Ear Nose and Throat services and outpatient specialty services in Western Wisconsin at Hudson Hospital.
HealthPartners also announced enhancements to its electronic medical record system that will give patients access to their test results, medical records and their children’s immunization information online. HealthPartners will also expand its electronic medical record to link its clinics, specialty center and Regions Hospital. “Our e-care expansion will allow us to provide more seamless care for our patients,” said Brian Rank, M.D., medical director HealthPartners Medical Group. “We want our patients to feel confident their physician has access to the most comprehensive information about them no matter where they receive care.” The system already includes a feature that allows patients to directly schedule doctor appointments online.
HealthPartners is also consolidating its clinic operations in the west metro area to match services with demand. As a result HealthPartners will close clinics in Maple Grove, Ridgedale, Spring Lake Park and Uptown (Minneapolis) in March 2005. Patients at these clinics will have the opportunity to receive care at nine remaining HealthPartners Clinics in the west metro area. HealthPartners is contacting patients at these clinics to provide more details on the changes. Patients can call 952-967-5300 for more information. Dental clinics located at the Ridgedale and Spring Lake Park locations will remain open.
The HealthPartners Medical Group is one of Minnesota’s largest medical groups with nearly 580 physicians practicing in more than 35 medical and surgical specialties. This multi-specialty group focuses its efforts on compassionate, patient-centered care, from helping to prevent illness to caring for patients with acute and chronic conditions. Physicians of the HealthPartners Medical Group provide health care services in more than 50 HealthPartners, RiverWay and North Suburban clinics located in the Twin Cities, as well as in hospitals in the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin. The HealthPartners Medical Group is part of the HealthPartners family of health care organizations focused on improving the health of its members and community. Please visit the HealthPartners web site at http://www.healthpartners.com/ .
HealthPartners
CONTACT: Joe Dangor of HealthPartners, +1-952-883-5223, or pager,+1-612-613-4527
Web site: http://www.healthpartners.com/