Gainesville, Florida-based Orthopedic Care Partners (OCP) has announced a strategic affiliation with Tucson, Arizona-based Tucson Orthopaedic Institute (TOI).
Formed in 2017, Orthopedic Care Partners is a private equity-backed orthopedic practice management platform. Per its website, practices affiliated with Orthopedic Care Partners “retain their own unique identities and brands while maintaining clinical autonomy.”
OTW spoke with Orthopedic Care Partners CEO Rich Gilbert, M.D., MBA about what led the groups to decide to partner. Dr. Gilbert told OTW, “Tucson Orthopaedic Institute is a highly respected group with a tradition of high quality patient care in AZ [Arizona]. They desired a partner to help accelerate growth and OCP [Orthopedic Care Partners] has a proven track record of this.”
Dr. Gilbert continued, “OCP’s approach emphasizes physician partners maintaining autonomy and control of their practice. This was important for TOI physicians.”
Founded in 1933, Tucson Orthopaedic Institute is an orthopedic practice offering services across a range of specialties. Its 33 physicians serve patients from eight clinic locations in Arizona.
In the press release, Steven C. Zeiller, M.D. expressed excitement about the partnership. Dr. Zeiller, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, leads Tucson Orthopaedic Institute. Dr. Zeiller commented, “We are excited to join the OCP platform and collaborate with Dr. Gilbert and the highly trained physicians of Orthopedic Care Partners to accelerate our growth throughout Arizona and the southwest. We believe this partnership will allow us to deliver the same superior experience to a significantly wider array of patients.”
With the addition of Tucson Orthopaedic Institute, Orthopedic Care Partners has now partnered with nine orthopedic practices across four states. Its platform now has more than 111 physicians. Its practice partners include the following: Gainesville, Florida-based The Orthopaedic Institute; Vail, Colorado-based The Steadman Clinic; and Creve Coeur, Missouri-based Motion Orthopaedics.
Dr. Gilbert also discussed the companies’ goals for the remainder of the year. Dr. Gilbert told OTW, “Our focus for the rest of the year is centered around building on TOI’s reputation of clinical quality and bringing OCP’s value-added resources to bear in local markets.”
