Akron Children’s Hospital is expanding its presence to the south.
The pediatric practice of North Canton Medical Foundation is joining Akron Children’s Hospital Pediatrics, effective July 1.
The deal gives Akron Children’s its first pediatric primary care office in Stark County, Ben Teske, director of the hospital’s primary care services, said in a news release.
“We are committed to ensuring that children receive the finest care close to their homes — from preventive checkups to treatment for chronic health problems,” Teske said. “Our resources, services and network of 21 primary care locations throughout Northeast Ohio will complement the great care that NCMF providers have been offering children of Stark County for more than 40 years.”
Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
The current staff, office hours and on-site lab and radiation services will remain, according to Dr. John Humphrey, foundation executive at NCMF.
The staff — which includes three pediatricians and a certified nurse practitioner — will become employees of the hospital. A fourth pediatrician who has been working at the Akron Children’s Hospital campus in the Youngstown area also will join the staff July 1.
The pediatric portion of the practice will be renamed Akron Children’s Hospital Pediatrics North Canton. The office is at 6046 Whipple Ave. NW, Building B.
The agreement to take over the North Canton pediatric primary care practice comes a month after Akron Children’s announced another deal to operate the inpatient pediatric unit at Aultman Hospital in Canton.
Under that multi-year deal, Children’s will lease the space from Aultman to own and operate the pediatric unit.
Medina health fair
The Cops and Kids Safety Fair will take place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 22 at Medina Hospital, 1000 E. Washington St.
The free event will include tours of emergency vehicles, fire safety information, swim safety demonstrations, car seat safety information, health screenings, raffle prizes and snacks.
Electronic records adoption
More than three in four U.S. doctors are using electronic health records, according to a new survey.
But whether the systems are living up to their expectations remains to be seen.
About 57 percent of physicians who adopted electronic health records said the systems made their practice more efficient, according to a survey by Physicians Practice, a trade magazine. Less than half (43 percent) said they have seen a return on their technology investment.
The survey found 54 percent of doctors were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their electronic health records vendor — a decrease from 63 percent two years ago.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.