Five Pre-Eminent Rockland and Bergen County Physician Practices Join Bon Secours Medical Group

SUFFERN, N.Y., May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bon Secours Charity Health System (BSCHS) announces the affiliation of five, preeminent Rockland County medical practices with the Bon Secours Medical Group.  The integration of these practices into the Bon Secours family provides a strong partnership among patients, physicians and the hospitals in BSCHS, and reflects a growing national trend of previously-independent physician groups joining larger organizations to provide patients a more consistent and a better continuum of medical care.

The Bon Secours Medical Group is composed of medical practices which have chosen to affiliate under the umbrella ownership of the Bon Secours Charity Health System.  Improved quality measures and enhanced patient satisfaction are the two primary drivers behind the formation of the Bon Secours Medical Group.  Doctors, physician assistants, nurses and other support personnel previously employed within each of the member physician practice groups will become part of the BSMG.  This change will have a positive impact on patients, as the integration of the practices and alignment of services will show visible and demonstrable improvements in the efficiency and quality of their care.

"In today's healthcare delivery environment, patients are best served when hospitals and physicians work closely together to meet the healthcare needs of our communities," said Philip A. Patterson, CEO of BSCHS.  "Bon Secours Charity Health System is committed to working in partnership with our medical staff of independent physicians and the members of the Bon Secours Medical Group to do exactly that.  Our patients will benefit from the affiliation of these respected medical professionals, who have chosen to partner with BSCHS to care for the people of the Hudson Valley well into the future," he noted.

The practices now affiliated with Bon Secours Medical Group are:

Ramapo Valley Surgical Associates – Led by Thomas L. Facelle, M.D., a surgeon and long-time Chief of Surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital, the practice also includes surgeons Peter Kaye, M.D.; Karen Karsif, M.D.; and William Goumas, M.D.

Hudson Valley Medical Associates – Based in Pomona, this six provider Internal Medicine practice includes Scott Bernstein, M.D.; Richard Kole, M.D.; Elliot Henson, M.D.; and Rosana Millos, M.D. 

Metropolitan Cardiology Consultants – This full-service cardiology practice, lead by Cary Hirsch, M.D., FACC, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Good Samaritan Hospital, has three locations – in Suffern and Goshen, N.Y., and Ridgewood, N.J. – each of which has state-of-the-art nuclear cardiology facilities providing both exercise and pharmacological stress testing with nuclear imaging.  The physicians who make up the practice include Cary L. Hirsch, M.D., FACC; Mark D. Kirschenbaum, M.D.; Hratch Kazanjian, M.D.; Seth Hurwitz, M.D.; Mark Fisch, M.D., and Andrew J. Najovits, M.D.

George R. Cox, M.D. – Dr. Cox is a physician specializing in Internal Medicine.  He is a longstanding and well-respected member or the Rockland County medical community, and has been at the forefront of promoting hospice and palliative care in the region.  His practice is located in Suffern.

Rockland Pulmonary and Medical Associates – This multi-specialty practice has 14 physicians certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.  The physicians who make up the pulmonary care practice include Leon Harris, M.D., FCCP (who will remain as Chief of Medicine at Good Samaritan Hospital); Clement Osei, MD., FCCP; Stephen Menitove, M.D., FACP, FCCP; Jack W. Horng, M.D. FCCP; Benjamin G. Chang, M.D.; Kristy Bauer, M.D.; Deborah Shapiro, M.D., FCCP; and Jonathan Berg, M.D.  Internal Medicine physicians are Mary Leahy, M.D.; Parag Shah, M.D.; Dean Miller, M.D.; Diane Deschino, M.D.; Leonard Zimmerman, M.D.; and Anita Shah, M.D.   

About Bon Secours Charity Health System

The Bon Secours Charity Health System includes Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, N.Y., a regional medical center, and two community hospitals: Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, N.Y., and St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, N.Y.  Additionally, Bon Secours Charity Health System provides the services of a Certified Home Health Agency, two long-term care facilities, an assisted living and adult home facility, and several other off-site medical programs.  The Bon Secours Charity Health System draws its name from the two Catholic orders that jointly sponsor the system: The Sisters of Bon Secours and the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth.  For more information, visit http://bschs.bonsecours.com.

SOURCE Bon Secours Charity Health System