Urology Associates Of North Texas Release: North Texas To Be Home To The Largest Urology Practice In The United States; Patients Will Benefit From Depth And Breadth Of Experience

FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Urology Associates of North Texas (UANT) recently agreed to merge with a six-physician urology group in Fort Worth. The new group, which will practice under the UANT name once the merger becomes effective Jan. 1, 2005, will become the largest fully integrated urology practice in the country.

The Fort Worth urologists involved in the merger include A.E. Thurman, M.D.; Ira N. Hollander, M.D.; Jeffery C. Applewhite, M.D.; J. Daniel Johnson, M.D.; F.H. Trey Moore, III, M.D.; and Scott A. Thurman, M.D.

The six physicians collectively bring more than 75 years of urologic practice in Fort Worth to UANT, and will make a significant contribution to the commitment to excellence that characterizes the unique, single-specialty group.

For North Texans, the merger will provide neighborhood access to highly specialized urological care, including the only pediatric urologists in Tarrant County. Patients will be served by 14 Metroplex locations, including Fort Worth, Arlington, the mid-cities, Irving, Grapevine, Carrollton and DeSoto.

“This merger will allow UANT to continue to achieve its goal of world- class patient care,” said UANT Physician Leader John House, M.D., who will head the newly merged organization. “Our depth and breadth of experience will enable our two highly qualified medical groups to come together to see an anticipated 125,000 patients in 2005.”

“With this merger,” said A.E. Thurman, M.D., “we now have enough subspecialists to allow each doctor to devote all his/her time to practicing their particular medical specialty. This enables them to become highly accomplished in their specialty and allows patients to be treated by a physician who specializes in the exact type of care they need.”

Due to the size of the new practice, UANT will be able to deliver highly skilled patient care devoted to a wide range of subspecialties, including urologic oncology, incontinence, male infertility, erectile dysfunction and pediatric urology. Physicians in these Centers of Excellence are fellowship trained, or have received advanced training and experience beyond that offered in residency. The larger organization also will have the financial resources to provide its patients with the latest treatment options and procedures.

UANT recently invested more than $1 million to provide its patients with the first da Vinci(R) Surgical System in North Texas. This robotic surgical tool enables UANT physicians to perform precise, minimally invasive surgery, reducing recovery time, complications and hospitalization costs.

In addition, the depth of UANT’s subspecialties has allowed the organization to develop the largest cryotherapy program in the country. This process, which freezes cancerous tissue, is used to treat prostate cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men and the second leading cause of death among men.

About Urology Associates of North Texas

Founded in 1992, UANT has 14 offices across the Metroplex and expects to see an estimated 125,000 patients annually. With a staff of 45 urologists, UANT is the largest urology practice in the country. Specialized care is available for incontinence, human sexuality/erectile dysfunction, infertility, urologic oncology, pediatric urology and robotic/endoscopic/laparoscopic urological needs. The January 2005 merger will add six physicians and 25 employees to UANT, for a combined total of 205 employees and 45 doctors.

CONTACT: Randy Sachs 817-543-4921 rsachs@uant.com

Urology Associates of North Texas

CONTACT: Randy Sachs of Urology Associates of North Texas,+1-817-543-4921, or rsachs@uant.com