A joint partnership between Butler Health System and UPMC will bring more convenience and increased services to women seeking obstetric and gynecological care in the region.

The joint venture, through which BHS and UPMC acquired Advanced OB/GYN Associates in Butler, won't change anything about the practice's name or the complement of five doctors, three physician assistants and two midwives who currently work there.

The group said that patients and employees would still have access to UPMC experts, and consultations for high-risk obstetrics, cancer, infertility and ultrasounds will continue to be provided at the group's office on East Brady Street.

Dr. Ron Cypher, the practice's lead physician, said the group has worked closely with Magee-Women's Hospital of UPMC for years to provide patients with female cancer surgery as well as high-risk obstetrics and infertility services.

But further formalizing the relationship through the joint venture means that the practice will be able to deliver even more convenience and a wider range of services

“We've strengthened and (are) increasing their presence here,” Cypher said.

Doctors and administrators from all three health companies said they see increased convenience for patients as perhaps the biggest benefit to come out of the agreement between BHS and UPMC.

Dr. Patricia Arnett of Advanced OB/GYN said that convenience is probably what matters most to patients — particularly those with higher risk factors who require more case management.

“We have been able to greatly improve the medical management of higher risk patients without them having to go to Pittsburgh,” she said.

High-risk help

In particular, Arnett said, high-risk obstetrics patients and those receiving treatment for female cancers used to have to travel to Pittsburgh. Now, with advances in telemedicine, their care is often being delivered and managed from within the county.

Cypher said that being able to tap into Magee's facilities and expertise while keeping patients close to home has a “halo effect,” and pointed to ultrasound services as an example. Through the group's partnership with Magee, patients in Butler are able to have their ultrasounds read in real-time by UPMC physicians 30 miles away.

That level of integration for women's care services is a big step forward, said Dr. Robert Edwards, chairman of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive services at UPMC, because UPMC employs radiologists who specialize in women's care and reproductive health — an uncommon focus for most in the profession.

The agreement would also give patients access to a UPMC health system which has quality control guidelines and access to services like clinical trials and cancer care through UPMC's cancer center that smaller health system's simply can't replicate on their own, Edwards said.

“While they're already very high quality physicians, I think this will benefit their evidence-based care ... and benefit outcomes for patients in Butler County,” Edwards said.

Athletic ability

Advanced OB/GYN Associates is already notable in the region for being a destination of choice for pro athletes — most prominently members of the Pittsburgh Steelers including wide receiver Antonio Brown, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and defensive end Cam Heyward — whose wives use the facility. Heyward and Brown have newborns.

Cypher declined to speak about specific births within the practice, but said he believes the BHS-UPMC joint venture will increase the already-renowned quality of care the group provides.

“I guess it's exciting to have the best of both worlds for our patients,” he said. “We have our hometown hospital, and one of the best women's hospitals in the nation.”

Insurers accepted

Another important aspect of the joint venture is that the group will continue to accept both Highmark and UPMC insurance plans — an arrangement that was achieved despite a long-running and acrimonious dispute between UPMC and Highmark. Both Cypher and Arnett called the arrangement “commendable.”

“There's a lot of politics, and lot of issues, and they really worked well together to make this about the patients,” Cypher said. “This is a situation where the patients are really coming first.”

Edwards, speaking about the BHS-UPMC joint venture as a concept, said it offers many of the advantages community health systems are looking for.

“I think this is the model for the future,” he said. “Without hospitals having to join a system they get the best of both worlds: access to world-class care but they get to maintain their autonomy, which I think is important for some of our larger community hospitals.”

BHS officials also called the agreement a major step forward for women care in the county, and said it signaled the system's ongoing commitment to local and regional advances for women's health issues.

“Women's care is a focus of the organization (Advanced OB/GYN) both locally and regionally, and we are pleased to work together with UPMC and the practice in this new capacity,” said Jana Panther, director of marketing and public relations at BHS.