LOUISVILLE, KY – Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA), one of the country’s largest providers of specialty surgical services, announced today it has entered into a formal agreement with Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare to enhance ambulatory surgical services in the Louisville area.

Under the agreement, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare has purchased an interest in the general partnership that operates Surgecenter of Louisville and Premier Surgery Center. The centers, which will continue to be managed by SCA, will be jointly owned by Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Healthcare, the center’s physician partners and SCA. More than 50 physicians use the centers for procedures in ophthalmology, ENT/otolaryngology, orthopaedics, gynecology, plastics and other specialties.

“Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare is very pleased to partner with SCA to execute our long-term growth strategy in the area of outpatient surgical services and to expand our system’s footprint in the community,” said Shelley R. Neal, Vice President for Ambulatory Services for JHSMH. “This partnership is physician-led and patient-centered, which we believe is crucial for high patient and physician satisfaction.”

Andrew Hayek, President and Chief Executive Officer of SCA, said, "We are honored to be selected to enter into this relationship with Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare. We believe this relationship will improve healthcare in Kentucky and other areas, and further position SCA as the partner of choice for health systems and physicians.”

SCA’s vision is to be the partner of choice for physicians, hospitals, and health systems in developing and operating ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals across the country. SCA operates 125 ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals, in partnership with approximately 2,000 physicians and 20 not-for-profit health systems across the country. SCA’s clinical systems, efficiency programs, benchmarking process, and training programs create measurable advantage for surgical facilities – clinically, operationally, and financially. For more information on SCA, visit www.scasurgery.com.

Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare (JHSMH) was created when two of the region’s most well established health systems – Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services and CARITAS Health Services – joined together in 2005. The merged company is a major regional health network that includes over 70 health care facilities providing a complete array of health care services in Kentucky and southern Indiana including: hospitals, behavioral health, home health care, outpatient care, occupational health and rehab medicine. For more information, visit www.jhsmh.org.