Grossman Burn Center has opened an office in Kansas City, Mo., the organization’s first presence in the Midwest and a move in contrast to national trends. Grossman already has clinics in Bakersfield, Phoenix and its headquarters at West Hills Hospital, owned by Hospital Corp. of America, the Nashville, Tenn. hospital company that is the nation’s largest. The new Kansas City facility is also in collaboration with HCA. Called the Grossman Burn Center at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, the facility has eight beds and offers acute treatment and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Meg Garcia will manage the center on a daily basis under the supervision of Dr. Peter Grossman, who will remain based in the Valley. Grossman said that although the number of burn centers nationally has trended downward in the last 20 years, he believes the deal with HCA will work financially. “We are in the midst of a national expansion, but we are selective about the markets we target,” he said. “We looked at the population and the number of burn beds. And we think this can be a profitable venture.” Jim Doucette, executive director of Firefighters Burn Institute in Sacramento, a charity that funds two burn units, said burn care is a complex and expensive medical specialty. “Typically they need a lot of different surgeries, a lot of skin grafts,” he said. “It’s not a moneymaker for a lot of hospitals so that’s why they’re closing down.” But Grossman said the market has only one burn center at a university medical center on the Kansas side of the river. Crossing state lines creates problems when dealing with insurance coverage, medical referrals and long-term prescriptions, all necessary parts of burn care, So by opening his clinic at an HCA facility on the Missouri side of the river – where most of the population resides – he believes he will get enough patients to keep the clinic full. “We looked at the demographics to see where there was a need, to see if it’s economically feasible for both the hospital and for us,” said Grossman, who could not disclose the financial details of the agreement. The burn center is separate from the Grossman Burn Foundation, a Calabasas non-profit founded by Peter’s father, Dr. Richard Grossman. Kaiser Funds Clinic A clinic of Mission City Community Network will more than double in size thanks to a grant from Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Kaiser has provided $500,000 for medical equipment and construction at the proposed clinic at 8527 Sepulveda Blvd. in North Hills. The expansion will allow the non-profit organization to provide medical services – including lab tests, dental care and a pharmacy – that it previously referred out. Mission City was founded in 1989, and in 2012 it served 10,000 patients through more than 30,000 patient visits. It has Valley facilities in Northridge, Pacoima and Mission Hills, in addition to six other clinics elsewhere in Southern California. The new three-story clinic will serve about 9,000 county residents who are uninsured or low-income, including some who will get coverage under the new health reform law. Essential services will be provided regardless of ability to pay. “Mission City expects the current demand for health services in the San Fernando Valley to grow with the Affordable Care Act,” Sandra Hernandez-Millett, a spokeswoman for Kaiser, said in an email. The facility will have 19,800 square feet of clinic space. Dental and pharmacy services will be on the first floor, medical and behavioral health clinics on the second floor and administrative offices on the third floor. It will have 35 primary and dental exam rooms, a nurse’s station and a conference room. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 6, with construction scheduled to finish by December and the clinic opening in spring 2015. Lab Notes Palmdale Regional Medical Center relocated its Wound Care Center from Lancaster to Palmdale last month. The center has four hyperbaric chambers for treating diabetic skin ulcers, skin grafts and burns. The new offices are inside the Palmdale Medical Plaza adjacent to the medical center, owned by Universal Health Services Inc. in King of Prussia, Pa. … Apollo Medical Holdings Inc. has appointed Edward Rotan as senior vice president of its new Maverick IPA unit. The Glendale company, which manages doctors groups that assist hospital inpatients, founded Maverick in June to serve patients covered by Medicare or private insurance at doctors’ offices and outpatient facilities. Staff Writer Joel Russell can be reached at (818) 316-3124 or [email protected].
Valley Burn Center Wraps Midwest Expansion
