By Kelci Parks

HealthCare Partners, an operator of medical groups and affiliated physician networks, announced on Monday that they have acquired Outcome Based Deliver System, known locally as Canyon Gate Medical Group. The actual deal was closed a week prior, on Oct. 3.

OBDS owns and operates Canyon Gate Medical Group in southern Nevada, as well as others in Florida. In all, OBDS medical groups provide healthcare services through more than 190 employed and contracted physicians, servicing nearly 60,000 patients total.

Canyon Gate has been serving southern Nevada for three years, with 15 primary care physicians in seven medical offices throughout Las Vegas, Henderson and Pahrump.

Canyon Gate’s website boasts that its health care model is based on frequent and regular interaction with patients, similar to that of HealthCare Partners. In fact, many traits of the two businesses mirror each other.

“They have good physicians, there was an eagerness to improve care, to interconnect with the electronic medical records, to improve access to patients, so we found that they have the same set of values that we do,” said Dr. Sherif Abdou, president and CEO of HealthCare Partners of Nevada. “We value the way Coral Gate in Florida and Canyon Gate physicians share the HealthCare Partners commitment to delivering quality care and patient satisfaction.”

Abdou assures that Canyon Gate patients will hardly notice a change in their service, and alterations that do take effect will only be positive.

“There will only be improvement of services and resources invested into these practices,” he said. “These patients will not have to change their physician. There will be no changes from our side at all. We are not changing any contracts and we are not eliminating any contracts. We have offered to all to extend their contracts as-is, and most of them have been positively responding.”

Abdou says the change came about when representatives from OBDS contacted HealthCare Partners.

“Their leadership approached our leadership and asked if we had an interest in considering bringing them in as a part of the HealthCare Partner family. So our leadership studied the opportunities strategically.”

In the end, the choice was an easy one, he says, as was the acquisition itself.

“It was done very smoothly. Every physician is staying onboard; all the patients are welcome to stay onboard, of course.”

Abdou also says that expansion is likely, and those who fear layoffs have nothing to worry about.

“There will absolutely be no layoffs. Actually, there will probably be an increase in resources,” he said.

Another big reason for the decision to acquire Canyon Gate was their prime location.

“They are located right by the hospital and that was part of the attraction of the integration. HealthCare Partners does not have a location by the hospital, and that will increase the service and availability to our patients.”

Canyon Gate Medical Group has been in Pahrump only since last December, when they opened a 12,000-square-foot clinic adjoining the 7,500-square-foot Kidney Specialists of Southern Nevada on the grounds of Desert View Medical Center. The Pahrump clinic features 12 patient rooms and on-site laboratory services.

“I just want to assert and reassert the absolute commitment of HealthCare Partners to the Pahrump community and to every single patient,” said Abdou. “We want to increase access, improve quality and provide excellent service. We also hope to improve the specialty presence and improve the procedures and the services that can be done in Pahrump so patients do not have to travel to Las Vegas or somewhere else to receive their care.”