Leading Manhattan Gastroenterologists Open Endoscopy Center on Upper East Side

NEW YORK, March 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Yorkville Endoscopy (Yorkville), New York's newest GI-focused Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC), received New York Department of Health approval and began operation on February 22, 2013. The center brings together 12 of New York's most respected gastroenterologists who will perform diagnostic and therapeutic gastrointestinal endoscopic services in a new, state-of-the-art facility.  The center's physicians are affiliated with New York's leading hospitals including Mount Sinai, Lenox Hill and New York Presbyterian.   

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The project was initiated in late 2010 by New York Gastroenterology Associate (NYGA), a five physician practice, and Frontier Healthcare, Yorkville's management partner. "We recognized that a growing proportion of healthcare services are moving out of the hospital environment and into ambulatory facilities. Yorkville Endoscopy enables us to continue providing the highest quality care in a patient-friendly atmosphere that is also more cost-efficient than hospital-based services," said Lawrence B. Cohen, M.D., medical director and board member of Yorkville. "The center was carefully designed in order to maximize patient privacy and comfort throughout every phase of their visit. We believe that this will help to reduce the barriers that sometimes prevent patients from receiving needed endoscopic care."

During the development process, NYGA and Frontier developed relationships with similar-minded office-based endoscopists who were also dedicated to improving their environment of care. These discussions culminated with seven new Members joining the Yorkville partnership. To accommodate the additional volume, Frontier and the Members identified a 10,000 sq. ft. site on 93^rd and 3^rd Avenue. "The center is ideally situated to serve patients throughout Manhattan and the surrounding tri-state area," said Dr. Leon Kavaler, another board member of Yorkville Endoscopy. "The center is situated between my office (on 86^th Street) and Mount Sinai Hospital (on 100^th Street). I could not have wished for a more convenient location to expand our practice." The five procedure room facility is expected accommodate more than 12,000 patient visits during its first year of operation. Additionally, the center will also provide outreach programs that offer free or reduced-charge colorectal cancer screening to uninsured individuals within the community.

The move to an ASC setting is indicative of a larger trend in New York healthcare. While New York State currently has the second lowest number of ASCs per capita in the country, concern regarding office-based safety and infection control standards is resulting in a rapid shift toward the ASC setting. "The ASC allows physicians to maintain their autonomy while providing a standard of care and patient experience that exceeds that of a hospital," said Jordan Fowler, CEO of Frontier Healthcare. "We expect that the New York migration of physicians from office-based settings to ASCs will continue over the next five years, driven by patient preference, the need for physician flexibility and NY Department of Health's endorsement of ASCs as a premium outpatient venue."

In addition to performing procedures, many of the physicians are involved in teaching and clinical research and have written numerous articles in respected journals on topics ranging from the latest endoscopic techniques to new therapeutic modalities for various gastrointestinal conditions. Dr. Cohen, the center's Medical Director and officer for quality assurance, is an internationally recognized authority on gastrointestinal endoscopy and endoscopic outcomes. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Gastrointestinal Quality Improvement Consortium (GIQuIC), the American College of Gastroenterology's Quality Council, and a member of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy's Quality Committee. Dr. Cohen has authored more than 150 book chapters, peer-review manuscripts, review articles and research abstracts.

"This has been one of our most satisfying and challenging projects to date," said Frontier Healthcare's Fowler. "To take NYGA's vision of moving its site of service to an Article 28 environment and then to smoothly incorporate other local physicians was a huge accomplishment for both NYGA and the additional physicians. It's rare to find such a cohesive group, who are equally committed to excellence, both in their practice of medicine and their desire that all aspects of their ASC represent the best in healthcare, from the physicians, to charity care, to regulatory compliance, all the way through to the aesthetics and warmth of the center."

About Yorkville Endoscopy

Yorkville Endoscopy is a state-of-the-art ambulatory endoscopy center dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare service, patient care and operational excellence. Formed by 12 New-York based physicians, the center was designed to promote high-quality care and procedural excellence in a personalized, compassionate, professional environment.

About Frontier Healthcare

Frontier Healthcare partners with groups of physicians to develop and manage ASCs. Frontier manages the largest portfolio of ASCs in New York State, and its network of GI physicians represents over one hundred thousand cases annually across over eighty doctors, including some of the most well respected physicians in the tri-state area. In the past year Frontier has opened three Manhattan ASCs, Including Yorkville Endoscopy. Frontier manages the development process from start to finish, guiding its physicians through each part of the development process and, as a true partner to each ASC, manages and oversees each facility post-opening.

CONTACT:
David Lewkowitz
1-516-637-8140
[email protected]

SOURCE Frontier Healthcare