Press Release
Jan 7, 2025
US Acute Care Solutions and the University of Pennsylvania Work Together to Prevent Stroke Misdiagnosis
CANTON, Ohio, January 7, 2025 — US Acute Care Solutions (USACS) is proud to announce a collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine) to incorporate the USACS “dizziNIHSS” initiative at Penn Medicine’s three Philadelphia emergency departments, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.Designed to enhance diagnosis of posterior strokes, this innovative approach reminds clinicians to perform the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), test of skew, and gait evaluation for any patient presenting with dizziness, vertigo, or imbalance. The new collaboration aims to transform stroke diagnosis and care, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and population health.The Stakes: Posterior Strokes and Catastrophic OutcomesPosterior strokes are missed in as many as two-thirds of cases because many do not present with commonly recognized stroke symptoms like weakness, numbness, or speech difficulties. Instead, posterior strokes can be misdiagnosed as vertigo caused by inner ear dysfunction, fainting episodes, or even psychiatric diseases. The adage, “time is brain,” means that not identifying and treating strokes early can lead to catastrophic outcomes for patients. The dizziNIHSS approach prioritizes the NIHSS as a key diagnostic tool to identify strokes that are most commonly missed.Why the NIHSS?NIHSS is superior to CT and MRI for detecting early strokes.The assessment can be performed immediately on any patient, by any clinician, at any facility, regardless of local resource constraints, and takes only a few minutes.NIHSS is efficient and free, providing essential value to patients while optimizing clinical operations and resources.Data-Driven ResultsThe implementation of the dizziNIHSS initiative, combined with comprehensive training and ongoing feedback for clinicians, has increased use of the NIHSS for atypical neurological symptoms at USACS-staffed emergency departments, from 17% to 73%. Patients cared for by USACS clinicians have up to a four times greater chance of receiving timely and accurate stroke diagnoses.“The dizziNIHSS initiative here at USACS is a prime example of fulfilling our mission to care for patients,” said Dr. Amer Aldeen, Chief Medical Officer of USACS, who coined the label, “dizziNIHSS,” and co-developed the initiative with Dr. John Bedolla, USACS National Director of Risk Science. “Our national physician-owned practice serving hundreds of community emergency departments collaborating with a powerhouse academic institution of Penn Medicine’s caliber is exactly the kind of innovation we need to drive healthcare forward.”"We are excited to collaborate with USACS in using the dizziNIHSS method, reinforcing our commitment to early and accurate diagnosis of all strokes, anterior and posterior," said Dr. Benjamin Sun, Professor and Chair of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine."The dizziNIHSS initiative aligns with our efforts to enhance patient safety and ensure that critical assessments are never overlooked," stated Dr. Jenice Baker, Chair of Emergency Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital."Partnering with Penn Medicine to implement this evidence-based, cost-effective, and operationally efficient approach demonstrates our shared dedication to improving outcomes and reducing the risk for missed strokes," added Dr. Bedolla.About USACSFounded by emergency medicine and inpatient physicians across the country, USACS is solely owned by its physicians and hospital system partners. The group is a national leader in integrated acute care, including emergency, hospital, and critical care services. USACS provides high-quality care to approximately 11 million patients annually across more than 400 programs and is aligned with many of the leading health systems in the country. Visit usacs.com for more.###Media ContactMarty RichmondCorporate Communications DepartmentUS Acute Care Solutions330.493.4443 [email protected]
General News
Mar 7, 2024
USACS Announces Annual Clinical Excellence Award Winners
CANTON, Ohio, March 7, 2024 – US Acute Care Solutions (USACS), the nation’s largest physician-owned provider of hospital-based emergency and inpatient medicine, is pleased to announce eight clinicians who have been named recipients of the National Clinical Governance Board’s (NCGB) Clinical Excellence Award. These recipients were honored during USACS’ annual Assembly meeting held in Denver, CO, last month.The Clinical Excellence Award was created to recognize outstanding clinical care by individual physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) who do not serve in leadership or management roles and represent each USACS service line. Nominations are submitted year-round by clinical colleagues and are reviewed at the beginning of each calendar year. Recipients are selected and notified before the annual spring Assembly meeting.Congratulations to the following recipients of the 2023 Clinical Excellence Award:Matthew Baltz, MD, Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center— Mechanicsville, VACalen Hart, MD, AdventHealth Tampa—Tampa, FLWaleed Hussein, MD, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital—Hollister, CAOmar Naji, MD, StoneSprings Hospital Center—Dulles, VARyan Nguyen, PA-C, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas—Austin, TXJames (Ian) Richardson, DO, Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center—Mechanicsville, VANathan Scherer, DO, AdventHealth ER and Urgent Care at Meridian—Parker, COMelissa Volpe, PA-C, Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital—Charlottesville, VANational Director of Clinical Education and Vice Chair of the NCGB, Roya Caloia, DO, MPH, FACEP, shared, “These are the people you work alongside who make you want to be a better physician or APP. Their efforts and commitment to high-quality patient care remind you of why you chose to go into medicine in the first place. Congratulations to each recipient, I am honored to call each of you colleagues!”About USACSFounded by emergency medicine and inpatient physicians across the country, USACS is solely owned by its physicians and hospital system partners. The group is a national leader in integrated acute care, including emergency medicine, hospitalist, and critical care services. USACS provides high-quality care to approximately 10 million patients annually across more than 400 programs and is aligned with many of the leading health systems in the country. Visit usacs.com for more.###Media ContactMarty RichmondCorporate Communications DepartmentUS Acute Care Solutions330.493.4443 [email protected]
Press Release
Jan 31, 2024
US Acute Care Solutions Expands Partnership with Inova Health System to Include Comprehensive Emergency Medicine Services at Inova Fairfax Medical Center
CANTON, Ohio, January 31, 2024 – US Acute Care Solutions (USACS), the nation’s largest physician-owned and led acute care practice, is honored to announce the expansion of its partnership with Inova Health System to include four additional programs.Effective January 1, 2024, USACS welcomed the existing emergency medicine physicians and advanced practice providers from the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus (IFMC), which includes the adult emergency department at Inova Fairfax Hospital and the Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department. The IFMC Emergency Department is the fourth busiest ED in the country, seeing 174,000 patients last year. The expanded partnership will also include two freestanding emergency departments:Inova Emergency Care Center – Fairfax CityInova Emergency Care Center – RestonThis is an expansion of a partnership that began 23 years ago when Emergency Medicine Associates, one of the 20 physician groups that have since joined USACS, began providing emergency medicine services to Inova Alexandria Hospital. This evolution is testament to Inova and USACS’ shared vision of delivering the best patient care to Northern Virginia, the Washington DC metro area and beyond.Martin Brown, MD, FACEP, President of the USACS East Division and former Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Inova Alexandria, expressed his enthusiasm for this new chapter, stating, "Our decades-long history with Inova Health System has always been rooted in the shared value of delivering exceptional patient care. This expanded partnership is a powerful testament to our joint commitment to serve the Northern Virginia and the greater Washington D.C. area with the best emergency medical services available. We look forward to working collaboratively with the very talented Inova team of physicians and advanced practice providers."The partnership follows a rigorous and competitive selection process aimed at sustaining and enhancing the excellence for which Inova Health System is renowned. Notably, Inova Fairfax, a tertiary care center, is Northern Virginia’s only Level I Trauma Center and Virginia's busiest ED. The pediatric ED is one of the largest in the country. The hospital is ranked #1 in the state according to US News, classified as a Magnet Designation for nursing excellence, and has received an 'A' safety rating from Leapfrog. These recognitions speak volumes about the quality of patient care provided and align seamlessly with USACS' commitment to clinical excellence.Erin Hodson, Vice President Administrator, Inova Medicine Service Line, added, “We look forward to the strategic expansion of our relationship with USACS, a partner who understands our model and is committed to our existing, high-caliber physicians and advanced practice providers. USACS has consistently demonstrated a commitment to providing the highest-quality medical care to our shared patients in this community.”About USACSFounded by emergency medicine and inpatient physicians across the country, USACS is solely owned by its physicians and hospital system partners. The group is a national leader in integrated acute care, including emergency medicine, hospitalist, and critical care services. USACS provides high-quality care to approximately 10 million patients annually across more than 500 programs and is aligned with many of the leading health systems in the country. Visit usacs.com for more.About InovaWe areInova, Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area’s leading nonprofit healthcare provider. With expertise and compassion, we partner with our patients to help them stay healthy. We treat illness, heal injury and look at a patient’s whole health to help them flourish. Through our expansive network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers and outpatient services, Inova cares for more than one million patients annually, delivering the bestclinical care and a seamless experience. Consistently ranked and recognized as a national healthcare leader in safety, quality and patient experience, Inova’s world-class care ismade possible by the strength and breadth of our network, our 22,000 team members, our technology and our innovation. Inova is home to Northern Virginia’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and provides high-quality healthcareto every person in every community we are privileged to serve – regardless of ability to pay – every day of their life. More information about Inova can be found at www.inova.org.###Media ContactMarty RichmondCorporate Communications DepartmentUS Acute Care Solutions330.493.4443 [email protected]
General News
Nov 1, 2023
US Acute Care Solutions Executes a Multi-Year Agreement With United Healthcare
US Acute Care Solutions (USACS), the largest physician-owned emergency medicine and inpatient practice in the United States, executed a multi-year agreement with UnitedHealthcare, as of November 1, 2023. Under the new contract, UnitedHealthcare members on employer-sponsored and individual health plans will have in-network access to acute care services delivered by approximately 6,000 USACS clinicians at more than 350 hospitals in communities spanning 20 states. About USACS Founded by emergency medicine and inpatient physicians across the country, USACS is solely owned by its physicians and hospital system partners. The group is a national leader in integrated acute care, including emergency medicine, hospitalist, and critical care services. USACS provides high-quality care to approximately ten million patients annually across more than 500 programs and is aligned with many of the leading health systems in the country. Visit usacs.com for more. ###
General News
Sep 28, 2023
US Acute Care Solutions Executes a Multi-Year Agreement with Aetna, A CVS Health Company
US Acute Care Solutions (USACS), the largest physician-owned emergency medicine and hospitalist practice in the United States, executed a multi-year agreement with Aetna, a CVS Health company on August 1, 2023. Under the new contract, Aetna's Commercial and Medicare members will have in-network access to acute care services delivered by approximately 6,000 USACS clinicians at more than 350 hospitals in communities spanning 24 states. About USACS Founded by emergency medicine and inpatient physicians across the country, USACS is solely owned by its physicians and hospital system partners. The group is a national leader in integrated acute care, including emergency medicine, hospitalist, and critical care services. USACS provides high-quality care to approximately ten million patients annually across more than 500 programs and is aligned with many of the leading health systems in the country. Visit usacs.com for more. ###
General News
Jun 7, 2022
How USACS Reacted to COVID-19
US Acute Care Solutions experienced the same sudden and unprecedented declines in hospital ED volumes related to COVID-19 that everyone else did. How we reacted was different. We prioritized state-of-the-art patient care We provided clinical updates three times a week to educate our clinicians on the latest evidence-based management techniques during a time of ultra-rapid knowledge development. We created our nationwide COVID Task Force to quickly disseminate best practices nationally. We instituted frequent, clear, and concise communication to reduce information overload and to minimize misinformation. We created a clinical management tool to facilitate appropriate disposition for COVID patients. We created a first-in-the-industry ventilator allocation guideline, leveraging our ethics expertise. We provided educational points for clinicians to educate non-medical community members in their personal social media networks. We prioritized the safety and needs of our clinicians We sourced our own national PPE backup supplies to mitigate local shortages. We developed a state-of-the-art N95 sterilization technique and shared this with our hospital partners. We created on-shift support for decontamination methods. We created the first-in-the-industry quarantine fund to pay clinicians for lost time. We maintained benefits (including our marquee 401k plan) for our clinicians and employees throughout. We distributed wellness resources for our clinicians and their families. We created a communication aid for clinicians to facilitate travel to their hospitals without delays. We offered first-in-the-industry free antibody testing to all clinicians and employees. We prioritized the needs of our hospital partners We built surge ICU and hospital medicine processes and protocols, pre-ED triage tents, pop-up acute care settings, and even new hospital relationships. We supported telemedicine initiatives for hospitals, resulting in new patients being brought into the hospital system for appropriate care. We hosted webinars for hospital partners to coordinate an informed COVID response with best practices by leveraging our national footprint of 200+ acute care sites. We developed a clinical management tool to assign hospital observation, transfer, and inpatient admission. We created guidelines for a COVIDSafe Emergency Department, easing patient concerns about viral transmission and continuing to provide our trademark high-quality care for serious acute conditions. US Acute Care Solutions is different because we are majority physician-owned and are physician-led. We have the clinical, operational, and financial resources to weather the worst of a storm. COVID is case in point. We stepped up to face this crisis as a leader in our industry and an exceptional partner for our hospitals. We were made for this. Search Careers Talk To A Recruiter
Press Release
Oct 29, 2021
US Acute Care Solutions Expands Integrated Acute Care Services at Peterson Regional Medical Center in Texas
CANTON, Ohio, October 29, 2021 –US Acute Care Solutions (USACS) announced today it is now providing integrated acute care (IAC) services for Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville, TX. A private, not-for-profit community-based healthcare facility located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, this hospital has been named one of the nation’s Top 100 Rural Community Hospital for six consecutive years. The hospital provides care for a service area of over 100,000 people. In May of 2021, Modern Healthcare designated Peterson Healthcare one of the nation’s “Best Places to Work.” USACS currently provides emergency medicine services at Peterson Regional Medical Center. Integrated Acute Care brings the addition ofcritical careand hospital medicine services together as one team with one purpose: seamless, quality patient care across the entire acute care episode. “We’re proud to expand our partnership with Peterson Regional Medical Center, as they have achieved excellence on a national level and seek to provide the very best patient experience and quality outcomes across all services,” said Dr. George Mitri, Chief of Integrated Acute Care Services at USACS. As the area’s largest employer, Peterson Health offers 26 key service lines, including the emergency department, acute rehabilitation unit, The Baby Place, women’s services,intensive care unit, heart and vascular clinic, seven surgical suites, and an award-winning joint replacement program. CEO and President Cory Edmondson said, “Our mission is to provide exceptional, compassionate patient-centered care. We are proud of our partnership with US Acute Care Solutions because we know they will meet that mission and easily fit our award-winning organization and culture.” The USACS model of Integrated Acute Care builds on the USACS commitment to provide quality and safety by creating a single, accountable team of physician leaders responsible for improvement of patient care throughout the patient's stay, from entrance into the emergency department until discharge, and beyond. The model has led to improvements in key quality metrics, particularly thoserelated to patient experience. # # # About USACS Founded by 15 emergency and hospital medicine physician groups across the country, USACS is the national leader in physician-owned integrated acute care, which includes emergency, hospital and critical care professional services. USACS provides high-quality care to approximately 10 million patients annually across 400 programs and is aligned with leading health systems across the country. Visitusacs.comto learn more. About Peterson Health Peterson Health is a health network serving patients and the community in the Texas Hill Country with its flagship hospital, Peterson Regional Medical Center located in Kerrville, TX. Peterson Regional Medical Center is a 124-bed, not-for-profit rural community hospital committed to offering world-class care today, tomorrow, and always. Visitpetersonhealth.comto learn more. Media Contact Marty Richmond Corporate Communications Director US Acute Care Solutions 330.493.4443 x1406 [email protected]