Apr 3, 2014 2 min read

Canonsburg Hospital’s emergency department has a new manager.

Allegheny Health Network announced Thursday a joint venture with Emergency Medicine Physicians to manage the emergency unit at seven of the eight hospitals it owns in Western Pennsylvania, including Canonsburg.

The venture is named Allegheny Health Network Emergency Medicine Management LLC.

Network spokesman Dan Laurent said EMP – a national group based in Canton, Ohio – was managing the emergency department of two of its facilities, Forbes Hospital in Monroeville and Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights.

The network-EMP group started doing the same Tuesday at Canonsburg; Allegheny General and West Penn hospitals in Pittsburgh; Allegheny Valley Outpatient Center in New Kensington; Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie; and two independent hospitals, Highlands in Connellsville and Jameson in New Castle.

The in-network exception – for now – is Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills. Laurent said Jefferson still has a contract with another entity to run its emergency department.

“EMP is a proven leader in this market,” Laurent said. “The reason we’re doing this is we believe that incorporating this model across the entire network will enhance the quality of care.”

He said all emergency department physicians and “a handful” of physician’s assistants at the seven facilities are now employees of the new management group. Physician Physician Bruce MacLeod, chair of West Penn’s emergency department, is president of the venture.

The general public, Laurent said, will perceive little or no change.

“From a patient’s perspective, they will receive the same outstanding care from the same outstanding physicians.”