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Marin specialists join national group

SURGICAL CARE AFFILIATES BUYS CONTROLLING INTEREST; LOCAL GROUP PLANS TO EXPAND

GREENBRAE – A Birmingham, Ala.-based management company acquired controlling interest of the Marin Specialty Surgery Center this month, pushing forward the specialists’ plans to double or triple in size.

“As we’ve became more successful, we wanted to look at opportunities to expand the business,” said Dr. Harry Neuwirth, president of the group and one of the founding partners.

“We knew that to reach the capabilities we wanted to we would have to really increase the current size of the center, and that’s a big investment. Ultimately we decided a management company would have the economy of scale to take on the project.”

The group solicited several companies to take on partial management of the center but ultimately chose Surgical Care Affiliates, citing its experience in the industry. The company has about 140 similar ambulatory surgery centers in the United States, including several in the Bay Area.

“We could in the future work with other SCA affiliates and even join and build one large center, but we are still in the early, early stages of planning, and that is just one possibility,” Dr. Neuwirth said.

“Our priority would be to stay close to the hospital.”

SCA purchased a majority interest in the company, and the doctors retained the remaining portion. Specialties include orthopedic, urology, podiatry, plastic, gynecology, gastrointestinal and general surgery.

The practice started in 2001 when 14 Marin specialists pitched the idea for a surgery center to Sutter Health in hopes of making the company a partner, but the organization that manages Marin General Hospital opted not to join the effort. Sutter has since decided to end its contract with the hospital district and under the agreement cannot take on any other business interests within a four-mile radius.

Today, Marin Specialty has nearly doubled in size, adding 12 specialists that work from a site about a mile from the hospital. The facility has two operating rooms and a pain and procedure room located at 505 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.

Dr. Neuwirth said they are discussing expanding the current site, but for now “we hope if patients notice anything it will be good.” The Marin Specialty Surgery Center sign will remain on the building, though a small SCA logo will be added beneath.

The center does not have exclusive contracts with physicians, and many work in the hospital part time.