from staff
The boards of Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute and Baptist Health said Wednesday they signed an agreement for JOI to become a subsidiary of Baptist Health effective Feb. 1.
A news release said all JOI employees’ jobs and benefits are preserved and JOI’s seven physician practices and nine rehabilitation centers will retain the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute identity.
JOI has 400 employees, said Baptist Health spokesperson Cindy Hamilton. She said the companies are not releasing financial information related to the acquisition.
“We have had a long-term, collaborative relationship with Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute for many years,” said Hugh Greene, president and CEO of Baptist Health.
“With this agreement, patients with muscle, bone and joint disorders can continue to receive the well-recognized expertise of JOI’s premier group of orthopaedic surgeons, coupled with the complete continuum of services we provide at Baptist Health,” he said.
In January, Baptist Health and JOI opened the Baptist Beaches Surgery Center to provide patients in the Beaches community with a one-stop destination for surgical services that include outpatient orthopaedic procedures using high-tech, “smart” operating suites.
“The committed expertise of JOI surgeons and the full range of Baptist Health services have come together to provide patients with a positive surgical experience and outcome,” said Edward Sim, hospital president of Baptist Medical Center Beaches.
The agreement combines the strengths of JOI and Baptist Health to expand the availability of orthopaedic care, said the news release.
“Through our more integrated relationship with Baptist and our shared vision for the future, JOI can recruit additional orthopaedic subspecialty surgeons to add capacity, expand services and access, and enhance quality of care and patient satisfaction,” said Dr. Michael S. Scharf, president of Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute.
JOI’s first physician practice was established in 1994 on Baptist Health’s outpatient campus in San Marco.
Baptist Health consists of Baptist Medical Center Downtown and Baptist Heart Hospital; Baptist Medical Center Beaches; Baptist Medical Center Nassau; Baptist Medical Center South; and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, the area’s only children’s hospital.
Baptist Health also includes cardiology and cardiovascular surgery services; a comprehensive cancer center; the orthopaedic institute; women’s resource center; neurosciences, including neurosurgery and two Joint Commission-certified stroke centers; psychology and psychiatry services; outpatient facilities; urgent care services and a network of primary care physicians’ offices throughout Northeast Florida.
Baptist Health is the official health care provider for the Jacksonville Jaguars.