Oceanside CA— Tri-City Healthcare District (TCHCD) and UC San Diego Health announced today that they have officially entered into an exclusive affiliation agreement designed to enhance the delivery of high quality health care to patients in North San Diego County.
Under the terms of a master agreement, UC San Diego Health and the public healthcare district are collaborating to recruit primary care and specialty care physicians to Tri-City Medical Center’s service area supplementing the needs of their existing medical staff, jointly developing and marketing certain healthcare services and clearing a pathway to clinical integration for interested physicians and specialists. Additionally, services for neurosurgical, cardiac, and other service care areas will be significantly enhanced.
“Solidifying the affiliation agreement between Tri-City Healthcare District and UC San Diego Health is in alignment with Tri-City’s mission to advance the health and wellness of the community we serve as well as Tri-City’s vision to be recognized as the healthcare system of choice in our community,” said Steve Dietlin, CEO of Tri- City Medical Center. “Collaborating with San Diego’s world-class academic health system leverages the combined strengths of Tri-City and UC San Diego Health to provide expanded access to locally-provided healthcare services. Tri-City is excited and energized by this opportunity to build on and enhance patient care services offered to the community we serve.”
“Tri-City Healthcare District and UC San Diego Health have advanced and strengthened our affiliation through persistent and unselfish cooperation. The steps we are taking to implement this first round of initiatives uphold the promises we made to the North County community to provide high quality health care,” said Jim Dagostino, Chairman of Tri-City Healthcare District. “We look forward to a long beneficial relationship with such a respected healthcare organization.”
“This is an exciting opportunity for Tri-City Medical Center and UC San Diego Health to partner with the existing medical staff at Tri-City and better serve the needs of the community through increased access to primary and specialty care and services,” said Patty Maysent, CEO, UC San Diego Health. “UC San Diego Health is truly excited to work with the dedicated medical staff and leadership at Tri-City Medical Center and to be able to collaboratively care for patients in their local community.”
Maysent added that Tri-City Medical Center and UC San Diego Health will launch a neurosurgery program under which UC San Diego faculty neurosurgeons will evaluate patients and perform operations at Tri-City Medical Center. UC San Diego faculty will also oversee the existing cardiac surgery program at Tri-City while working collaboratively with its current cardiac surgery team.
UC San Diego Health plans to place faculty physicians locally to provide select clinical services to North County patients.
In addition, UC San Diego Health and Tri-City have taken steps to enable the Tri-City Medical Center to become a contracted provider under UC HealthNet Blue & Gold HMO and a provider under the Blue Shield/UC Care PPO product.
UC San Diego Health and Tri-City have also developed plans for qualified local Tri-City physicians and medical groups to affiliate with the UC San Diego Health Care Network (UCSDHCN). UCSDHCN is a collective of regional health care providers that includes UC San Diego Health System and faculty physicians, community hospitals, medical groups and physicians based in San Diego, Riverside and Imperial Counties. Affiliates of UCSDHCN are collaborating to develop systems, infrastructure, care pathways and quality initiatives that will provide high-value health care for the benefit of patients, health plans and employers.
About Tri-City Medical Center
Tri-City Medical Center has served its community for over 50 years and is a 397 bed full service, acute-care hospital in Oceanside, Calif. with a primary care clinic and over 700 physicians practicing in 60 specialties. Its Gold Seal of Approval® from the Joint Commission recognizes its commitment to safe and effective patient care for the residents of the community it serves. It operates the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in North County as well as an Orthopedic & Spine Institute, a Cardiovascular Health Institute and a Neuroscience Institute along with the Tri-City Wellness Center in Carlsbad, Calif., recognized as one of the best wellness centers in San Diego County. It also specializes in women’s health, robotic surgery, cancer and emergency care. Tri-City Medical Center has received its sixth consecutive “A” rating from the national hospital safety scoring organization, The Leapfrog Group.
For more information about Tri-City Medical Center and Tri-City Healthcare District, please visit www.tricitymed.org.
About UC San Diego Health
UC San Diego Health, the region’s only academic health system, has been ranked #1 in San Diego for five consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. It comprises UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest and Thornton Hospital, Moores Cancer Center (one of only 45 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country), Shiley Eye Institute, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center and Jacobs Medical Center (opening 2016) in La Jolla, as well as other primary and specialty practices located throughout Southern California. For more information, visit http://health.ucsd.edu.