New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Carolina Physicians Network, the physicians’ practice arm of Carolinas HealthCare Systems, have launched a new cooperative venture to expand the number and variety of physician services available to Wilmington-area residents.

Under the partnership, which took effect March 1, the two healthcare systems will jointly develop a new physician network. CPN offers extensive experience with physician practice management.

Hospital officials said doctors within the network benefit from CPN’s coordinated services, including billing and collections, quality programs, information systems, coding, cash management, credentialing and planning.

“We are looking forward to being able to offer this level of experience and service to physicians interested in this type of model. Not only will it benefit the physicians, it will help us recruit more physicians to the area, which will ultimately benefit the community,” hospital President and
CEO Jack Barto said in a prepared statement.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center currently employs 25 physicians through Carolina Healthcare Associates.

The doctors include hospital-based general physicians, psychiatrists, medical oncologists, oral maxillofacial surgeons and a neurologist. Under the agreement, those and other area physicians who join will become part of CPN.

“New Hanover Regional is the preeminent provider of health-care services to coastal North Carolina and we look forward to helping it bring its outstanding services to more residents of the area,” said Paul Franz, executive vice president of physician services at Carolinas HealthCare System.

Charlotte-based Carolinas HealthCare System owns, leases or manages 25 hospitals in North and South Carolina, and employs more than 35,000 full-time and part-time employees.

It is the largest healthcare system in the Carolinas and the third largest public system in the nation. Employees include over 1,100 CHS physicians.

 
Franz said in a prepared statement that Carolinas HealthCare System has developed “an efficient practice management model that we feel physicians in the Wilmington area will find highly attractive. Our physician services, medical office technology and clinical quality tools allow physicians to focus on what they do best – provide quality medical care to their patents.”