Regional One Health and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) have partnered to create a new academic physician group that will enhance the delivery of specialty care and hospital-based medical services in the Memphis area. The new group, called UT Regional One Physicians, launches October 1, 2014, and includes many UT Medical Group, Inc. (UTMG) physicians who have a strong history of affiliation with Regional One Health.

UT Regional One Physicians will provide services in several adult medical specialties including cardiology, obstetrics/gynecology, maternal fetal medicine, infectious disease, hematology, as well as several services provided in both the hospital and outpatient settings such as surgeons, radiologists and anesthesiologists.  Between 175 and 180 physicians and advanced practitioners are joining UT Regional One Physicians.

“With the creation of UT Regional One Physicians, Regional One Health is changing the way we think about how physician practices are created, governed and managed,” said Reginald Coopwood, M.D., President and CEO of Regional One Health.  “By working together, we hope to improve the continuity and quality of patient care and create a more efficient health care delivery system for the patients we serve.”

The formation of UT Regional One Physicians provides the ideal physician and hospital model while maintaining a commitment to an academic mission and improving the health of the community. The organization takes a new approach to practice management. UT Regional One Physicians is physician led, ensuring the providers have the support they need to provide the best patient care. The health system management by Regional One Health provides opportunities for synergies and best practice in administration and process improvement for positive patient experiences. Finally, UTHSC involvement as the academic partner provides research and innovation that can lead to better outcomes.

“As the health care landscape continues to evolve, expanding established relationships with our partners has become even more pivotal to success,” said David Stern, M.D., Robert Kaplan Executive Dean for the College of Medicine, UTHSC. “Educating and training competent, caring health care professionals is a core element of the UTHSC mission. To achieve that goal, we must extend our relationships with longtime hospital partners like Regional One Health who, like us, are committed to high quality education, research and patient care for every member of our community.”

All providers in UT Regional One Physicians will be UTHSC faculty members, and the group will be governed by an eight-member board of directors including practicing physicians. The practice group is the largest academic-affiliated physician organization in the Mid-South.