Orthopaedic Surgeons Team to Create WNY’s Premier Musculoskeletal Center of Excellence
Orthopaedic care in Western New York is about to take a significant step forward as the area’s leading orthopaedic surgeons are coming together to improve the quality of musculoskeletal care delivered across the region. This collaboration, which will include over 90 providers, encompassing surgeons, doctors, physician assistants, and physical and occupational therapists, is being designed with patient choice, access, and affordability at the forefront of its mission.
Later this year, twenty-two doctors from Excelsior Orthopaedics will join nine surgeons from Northtowns Orthopedics and one from Buffalo Orthopaedic Group to create the area’s premier provider of comprehensive orthopaedic care. The integration, which will operate under the Excelsior Orthopaedics brand, will be the only independent physician enterprise providing patients with a robust continuum of care for orthopaedic conditions.
“We have a unique and exciting opportunity to raise the bar on orthopaedic and sports medicine care in Western New York,” said Joel C. Farwell, Northtowns Orthopedics’ Practice Administrator. “When you bring together a group of highly accomplished entrepreneurial physicians with state of the art facilities and resources at their disposal, great things will happen, especially when physicians maintain control of medical decision making.”
Participating surgeons from Northtowns Orthopedics include Donald P. Douglas, M.D., Peter L. Gambacorta, D.O., Patrick J. Hlubik, M.D., Kevin W. Lanighan, M.D., Thomas A. Lombardo, M.D., Frank A. Luzi, M.D., David T. Miller, M.D., David J. Pochatko, M.D., and Matthew J. Zinno, D.O. They will be joined by Michael J. Ostempowski, M.D., currently with Buffalo Orthopaedic Group and the physicians of Excelsior Orthopaedics: Adam O. Burzynski, M.D., Michael P. Butler, D.P.M., John J. Callahan, M.D., Thomas B. Cowan, M.D., John P. Hurley, D.P.M., Daniel B. Keating, D.P.M., Sean E. Keating, D.P.M., James J. Kelly, D.O., Todd M. Lorenc, M.D., Matthew A. Mann, M.D., Jason M. Matuszak, M.D., Timothy V. McGrath, M.D., Owen J. Moy, M.D., David A.
Pula, M.D., Kory B. Reed, M.D., Peter E. Shields, M.D., James A. Slough, M.D., Andrew C. Stoeckl, M.D., Jude S. Violante, D.P.M., Nicholas J. Violante, D.O., Dale R. Wheeler, M.D. and Ryan D. Wilkins, M.D.
“We are very excited to bring together and leverage the collective expertise of physicians from Northtowns Orthopedics, Buffalo Orthopaedic Group and Excelsior Orthopaedics,” said David Uba, CEO of Excelsior Orthopaedics. “These providers have built tremendous reputations for delivering the highest quality patient care over many years. Together they will help transform the delivery of musculoskeletal care.”
The integration is led by a project steering committee that includes Dr. Peter L. Gambacorta, Dr. Kevin W. Lanighan, and Dr. David T. Miller from Northtowns Orthopedics; Dr. Michael J. Ostempowski from Buffalo Orthopaedic Group; and Dr. Andrew C. Stoeckl, Dr. Nicholas J. Violante and Dr. John J. Callahan of Excelsior Orthopaedics. The integrated entity will be managed by a seven member physician board of directors.
“Our primary goal with the transition is to create exceptional patient experiences and outcomes,” said Excelsior’s Dr. Andrew Stoeckl. “There are a lot of moving parts in a transition such as this one, but we’re very fortunate to have a great team that knows exactly what needs to be done and how to do it.”
Once the integration is complete, the “new” Excelsior Orthopaedics will expand clinical and geographic access to an extensive spectrum of services a patient with an acute or chronic orthopaedic condition might need, including board certified and fellowship trained specialty care, on-site diagnostic testing (x-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasound, are, outpatient surgery, physical and occupational therapy and durable medical equipment.
Plans are for all staff to remain. In fact, job growth is anticipated to meet patient needs in multiple offices across Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus Counties – from Niagara Falls to Ellicottville. It’s anticipated that the integration will initially employ approximately 350 and have 7 locations throughout WNY.
The integration of the physicians will begin immediately and will be completed by year-end 2019. For now, it is business as usual for the patients of all the providers who are part of the planned integration. Patients can continue to call the same phone number and use the same website they’ve always used, and they will be seen by their provider at the same location they’ve visited in the past. Patients will be contacted as the plans for the integration are finalized.
“My colleagues and I from Northtowns Orthopedics are really looking forward to teaming with the physicians at Excelsior,” said Dr. Peter L. Gambacorta. “We’re proud of the practice we’ve built at Northtowns and the care we’ve provided to our patients over the years. We see this integration as an opportunity to give our patients ready access to an even broader range of care and services, while strengthening the private practice of orthopaedics.”
Dr. Michael J. Ostempowski of Buffalo Orthopaedic Group also shares his colleagues’ vision of increasing patient access to the broad continuum of orthopaedic and sports medicine care. “That’s why I’m joining this impressive team,” Dr. Ostempowski said. “The ability to deliver this care more efficiently and effectively than ever before makes this an incredibly exciting time to be in private practice. A comprehensive and integrated delivery model that brings together all treating providers is good for patients.”
“The integration of these physicians into a single, cohesive unit is a real ‘win-win’,” Uba said. “First and foremost, it gives us the opportunity to provide more patients in Western New York with access to the very best orthopaedic and sports medicine care available, utilizing the most advanced techniques and tools. It also gives our physicians, other providers and staff the ability to do what they love to do with colleagues who share their vision.”
