Norton Healthcare, University of Louisville finalize pediatric integration

The affiliation between Norton Healthcare, UofL Physicians – Pediatrics and the University of Louisville School of Medicine was finalized on Sunday, March 1, 2020.

Under the newly formed Norton Children’s Medical Group, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, 21 former UofL general pediatric and pediatric subspecialist practices are now part of Norton Healthcare. Approximately 600 providers and staff have transitioned with the affiliation.

“By integrating the best pediatric providers who are committed to providing safe, high-quality care, we will make it easier for families to access comprehensive medical care for their children,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO, Norton Healthcare.

The UofL physicians and providers who are currently on the faculty of the school of medicine will remain in their academic role and will also work clinically within Norton Children’s Medical Group.

“UofL is committed to helping nurture healthy children and communities while maintaining our strong academic training programs and research. This agreement ultimately will translate into even better care for children,” said Neeli Bendapudi, Ph.D., president, UofL.

“Integrating allows the two organizations to move forward, capitalizing on each other’s strengths for the benefit of our patients and families,” said Steven T. Hester, M.D., MBA, division president, provider operations, and system chief medical officer, Norton Healthcare.

The affiliation is designed to make it easier for patients to access outpatient care within the practices and inpatient care at Norton Children’s Hospital. Access will be improved through:

• Scheduling enhancements
• Recruiting additional providers
• Increasing the number of multidisciplinary clinics, where patients with serious and chronic medical conditions can see multiple specialists on the same day
• Using a single integrated electronic medical record, which will make it easier for patients and families to access test results and communicate with their providers

“Ultimately, the goal is to develop and deliver the best possible programs, services and patient experience for the children of Kentucky and beyond,” said Jennifer C. Evans, M.D., MPH, FACOG, system vice president, women’s and pediatric services, Norton Healthcare. “Both organizations have been committed to providing a seamless transition.”

This new model also will allow the practices to enhance their focus on providing highly skilled clinical care that is integrated with world-class medical education and research. A strong continued commitment to innovation and education is an important component of the integration. UofL’s academic and research mission is key to teaching the next generation of pediatric providers, which is essential to growing a regionally and nationally recognized pediatric program. In addition, by working together, the organizations can recruit, train and retain key talent for pediatric programs.

“Children will benefit from the strong academic training programs and research that will continue through the UofL School of Medicine,” said Kimberly A. Boland, M.D., professor and chair, department of pediatrics, University of Louisville School of Medicine. “Working together will help us attract additional specialists to Louisville to care for children with the most complex medical issues. We look forward to seeing what great things we can accomplish together, not only in clinical care, but also in educating future pediatricians and making new discoveries in the field of child and adolescent health care.”

# # #

About Norton Healthcare

For more than 130 years, Norton Healthcare’s faith heritage has guided its mission to provide quality health care to all those it serves. Today, Norton Healthcare is a leader in serving adult and pediatric patients from throughout Greater Louisville, Southern Indiana, the commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond. The hospital and health care system is one of Louisville’s largest employers, providing care at more than 250 locations throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana. The Louisville-based not-for-profit system includes five Louisville hospitals with 1,837 licensed beds; seven outpatient centers; 15 Norton Immediate Care Centers; nearly 16,000 employees and 1,200 employed medical providers; and approximately 2,000 total physicians on its medical staff. Hospitals provide inpatient and outpatient general care as well as specialty care including heart, neuroscience, cancer, orthopedic, women’s and pediatric services. A strong research program provides access to clinical trials in a multitude of areas. More information about Norton Healthcare is available at NortonHealthcare.com. 

About UofL School of Medicine

The University of Louisville School of Medicine, founded in 1837, is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States. On its metropolitan Health Sciences Center campus, more than 600 medical students, 275 graduate students, and 1,000 resident physicians and postdoctoral fellows train each year with approximately 900 faculty members in five basic science and 18 clinical science departments. Researchers at UofL are discovering ways in which the environment impacts human health, investigating groundbreaking immunotherapy treatments for cancer, and improving therapies for spinal cord injuries, among many areas of clinical and basic research. In addition to carrying out teaching and research, faculty members care for patients at UofL Health facilities throughout the region, including UofL Health – UofL Hospital, UofL Health – Jewish Hospital, UofL Health – Shelbyville Hospital, UofL Health – Peace Hospital and  UofL Health – James Graham Brown Cancer Center as well as  Norton Children’s Hospital, the pediatric teaching hospital for the school.