Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC), parent company of The Medical Center, and UK HealthCare celebrated the opening of Medical Center Orthopaedics, Southcentral Kentucky’s new orthopaedic surgery practice, with a Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on Thursday, April 30. The Medical Center created the new physician practice in affiliation with UK HealthCare Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine to expand availability of orthopaedic surgeons in Southcentral Kentucky.
Orthopaedics is one of the fastest growing service lines in the country. National models predict a 15% increase in Orthopaedics over the next few years.
“For years, Orthopaedics has been a significant part of The Medical Center. Patients have made it clear that they want a choice and they want to receive their orthopaedic care at The Medical Center,” said Connie Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Health Corporation. “To facilitate the expansion of Orthopaedics, The Medical Center has partnered with UK HealthCare. UK has an excellent reputation in Orthopaedics, and we feel that combining that reputation with The Medical Center made sense.”
The first physician recruited to the practice is Rasesh Desai, M.D., F.A.A.O.S., orthopaedic surgeon and assistant professor with UK HealthCare Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. Dr. Desai’s extensive fellowship training includes Orthopaedic Spine at University of Louisville, Pediatric Orthopaedic and Pediatric Spine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Adult Reconstructive (Total Joints) Orthopaedics at University of Louisville.
"The recruitment of Dr. Desai onto our faculty and into the Bowling Green community represents just the first investment in new models of care by two strong healthcare systems, UK HealthCare and The Medical Center," said Dr. Michael Karpf, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at the University of Kentucky. "Our relationship in orthopaedics and also stroke care will allow UK HealthCare and The Medical Center to provide advanced medicine for Kentuckians as close to home as possible, in the most appropriate setting." In 2014, The Medical Center joined the Norton Healthcare/UK HealthCare Stroke Care Network to allow for the sharing of best practices and outcomes data to promote continuous quality improvement in stroke care.
Medical Center Orthopaedics is located in the Riverside Professional Center on The Medical Center campus. To learn more, visit medcenterortho.com. To schedule an appointment, call Medical Center Orthopaedics at 270-780-2750.
