Emory Healthcare Network and Southeast Primary Care Partners Join Forces to Enhance Healthcare Access in Georgia

Emory Healthcare Network, recognized as Georgia’s most comprehensive clinically integrated network, and Southeast Primary Care Partners, the largest independent medical group focused on primary care in the state, have announced a strategic alignment aimed at improving healthcare accessibility for Georgians.

Southeast Primary Care Partners boasts 49 locations across Georgia, housing 143 healthcare providers, with additional sites spread across the southeastern United States. On the other hand, the Emory Healthcare Network comprises 11 hospitals and approximately 500 provider locations throughout the state, boasting over 3,700 physicians across 70 specialties, including those in its academic medical center.

Through this collaboration, both organizations aim to expand services and expertise, offering individuals seamless access to primary care physicians and specialist care closer to home.

This partnership significantly bolsters Emory Healthcare Network’s primary care offerings, adding more than 500 primary care physicians to its roster, providing patients with an extensive network of care options.

Patrick Hammond, CEO of the Emory Healthcare Network, emphasized the focus on care coordination, highlighting how the alignment will enhance primary care availability through Southeast Primary Care Partners’ network, while ensuring access to a broad spectrum of specialists within the Emory Healthcare Network. He also underscored the collaboration’s goals of improving health outcomes, providing value-based care, and reducing costs.

Physicians within Southeast Primary Care Partners will integrate into the Emory Healthcare Network, fostering seamless communication between the two entities for integrated patient care. Efforts are underway to evaluate options for enhancing electronic health record interoperability to ensure continuity of care.

Eric Lisle, CEO of Southeast Primary Care Partners, expressed commitment to collaborating with Emory Healthcare to offer value-based care options to the community. He emphasized the significance of providing patients with access to primary care services locally, while also ensuring access to specialized care through Emory’s network.

Dr. Joon S. Lee, CEO of Emory Healthcare, highlighted the ongoing shortage of primary care physicians in the state and stressed the importance of addressing this issue to enhance healthcare accessibility for Georgians. He welcomed Southeast Primary Care Partners’ providers into the Emory Healthcare Network, emphasizing their role in meeting the community’s healthcare needs.

To ensure the success of this collaboration, both organizations have established a Joint Operations Committee, comprising leaders from both sides, which will meet monthly to evaluate the alignment’s benefits and explore opportunities for further advancements in care delivery and services.