Hospital acquiring orthopedic practice
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on September 19, 2011 1:46 PM
Wayne Memorial Hospital is in the process of acquiring a new practice of physicians, effective January 2012.
The board of directors voted this month to sign a letter of intent to have Goldsboro Orthopaedic Associates become part of Wayne Health Physicians, an affiliate of Wayne Health Corp.
The practice has 60 employees, including partners Dr. Greg Bauer, Dr. William De Araujo, Dr. Davis Frederick, Dr. Robert Ottaviani and Dr. Hector Pedraza.
Wayne Health Corp. is the parent holding company of Wayne Health Physicians and Wayne Memorial Hospital.
Last year the hospital was designated a Blue Distinction Center for knee and hip replacement by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina. The acquisition will allow Wayne Memorial to build on that accomplishment, said its president, William Paugh.
"Wayne Memorial Hospital has maintained a solid relationship with Goldsboro Orthopaedic Associates for many years, and this partnership simply takes the relationship to the next level," he said. "This will strengthen our ability to deal with the changing regulations facing the health care industry nationwide.
"However, the patient should see no change. It will be a seamless transition." The move is also a beneficial one for the orthopedic practice, Bauer said.
"Becoming part of Wayne Health Physicians will allow us as doctors to focus more fully on the clinical needs of our patients and not be distracted by the administrative obligations of operating a medical office," he said. "Patient care is why most of us chose the medical profession in the first place, and this arrangement will help us get back to that focus."