MARINA DEL REY, Calif. and DEERFIELD, Ill., Oct. 2, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capitalizing on the growing consumer trend of outpatient surgery versus expensive, overnight hospital stays, DISC Sports & Spine Center (DISC) has formed a joint venture with Surgical Care Affiliates, Inc. ("SCA") (Nasdaq:SCAI), a prominent surgical solutions and specialty surgical services provider. The deal will create a national model of sustainable healthcare for the future by tapping the core strengths and competencies of both companies to elevate the quality of outpatient surgery, increase accountability and reduce the costs to consumers.
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DISC, with surgery centers in Marina del Rey and Newport Beach, is a pioneer in minimally invasive spine procedures and advanced microscopic techniques, and SCA—a prominent surgical solutions and specialty surgical services provider—has built a network of 178 surgical affiliates nationwide (as of June 30, 2014), including surgery centers, surgical hospitals, and hospital surgery departments, in 34 states. Both DISC and SCA are leaders in the advancement of outpatient surgery at a time when consumers are seeking solutions for rising healthcare costs without compromising quality.
"DISC has built a reputation for performing both routine and complex outpatient surgeries efficiently, while providing outstanding patient care and clinical outcomes," said Michael Rucker, SCA's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "With this track record and expertise, DISC is the ideal partner to support SCA in furthering our mission to improve healthcare in America and achieve our shared goal of establishing a system of accountable care, where quality outcomes drive reimbursement."
As a result of the joint venture, SCA becomes a majority equity partner in DISC and will help evolve the business by providing daily management, while DISC—accredited by the AAAHC for clinical excellence—continues its day-to-day-clinical operations. In turn, DISC will collaborate with SCA to design national benchmarking programs for outpatient care, drawing upon standards that have allowed the center to safely and successfully handle high-acuity cases in the outpatient setting with higher patient satisfaction, fewer complications and a zero MRSA infection rate.
"We are very pleased to join forces with SCA to further refine the delivery of outpatient care," said DISC founder and leading neurological spine surgeon, Dr. Robert S. Bray, Jr. "With this strategic alliance, we are creating a sustainable model for quality healthcare that can be replicated throughout SCA's extensive national network. From this partnership, physician practices will benefit from greater resources and quality metrics, and patients will benefit from an abundance of choices for affordable, top-quality healthcare."
In founding DISC, Dr. Bray set out to elevate the quality of acute care, recruit and develop a strong network of physician practices, establish aligned investment strategies and deliver a leading-edge healthcare model. The joint venture gives DISC a platform from which to expand on that mission by leveraging SCA's clinical, operating and financial systems and processes which have been proven to create measurable impact.
About DISC Sports & Spine Center
DISC Sports & Spine Center (DISC) is one of America's foremost providers of minimally invasive spine procedures and advanced microscopic techniques. DISC's highly specialized physicians apply both established and innovative solutions to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate their patients in a one-stop, multi-disciplinary setting. With a wide range of specialists under one roof, the result is an unmatched continuity of care with more efficiency, less stress for the patient and a zero MRSA infection rate. DISC's ambulatory surgery centers include Diagnostic and Interventional Surgical Center (Marina Del Rey) and DISC Surgery Center at Newport Beach. Both are accredited by the AAAHC and are located within minutes of major airports with reasonably priced hotels nearby, which is very convenient for out-of-town patients. DISC is also the official medical services provider for Red Bull and a proud partner of the LA Kings. For more information, contact 866-481-DISC, or visit http://discmdgroup.com.
About Surgical Care Affiliates
An industry leader, SCA partners with physicians, health systems and payors to develop and implement surgery strategies across the country. As of June 30, 2014, SCA operated 178 surgical facilities - including ambulatory surgery centers, surgical hospitals and eleven sleep centers - in partnership with approximately 2,000 physicians and in affiliation with 42 health systems across the country. SCA's clinical systems, service line growth strategies, benchmarking processes and efficiency programs create measurable advantage for surgical facilities - clinically, operationally and financially. For more information on SCA, visit www.scasurgery.com.
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