Lutheran Medical Center joins forces with NYU Langone

November 19, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The new affiliation with NYU Langone Medical Center will mean good things for patients at Lutheran Medical Center, a hospital run by Lutheran Health Care, according to officials. Photo courtesy Lutheran Health Care

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Big changes are coming to one of Brooklyn’s oldest medical providers. Lutheran Medical Center announced on Tuesday it will become affiliated with New York University Langone Medical Center.

The new agreement creates a formal health system between the two organizations that extends NYU Langone’s presence in Brooklyn, while bolstering Lutheran’s access to NYU Langone’s array of medical and surgical specialties, officials said.

The announcement was made jointly by NYU Langone Medical Center and Lutheran Medical Center after the boards at both hospitals approved the affiliation.

Officials said they are seeking regulatory approval for the new agreement. The approval process is expected to be completed in 2015.

Lutheran Medical Center, a 450-bed hospital located at 150 55th St. in Sunset Park, was founded in 1883. The hospital is run by Lutheran Health Care.

Wendy Z. Goldstein, president and CEO of Lutheran, praised the new agreement. “Partnering will ultimately provide Lutheran and its patients with increased access to the world-renowned, high quality services that are the hallmark of NYU Langone, and will serve to strengthen the excellent services we currently provide,” she said in a statem

Dr. Robert I. Grossman, dean and CEO of NYU Langone, said his institution has been working closely with Lutheran for several months to assess whether a partnership would benefit them both. “Today’s agreement publicly confirms our confidence that an affiliation will allow both of our institutions to collaborate and share best practices to better meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Dr. Grossman also acknowledged Lutheran’s pioneering work in expanding outpatient clinical services into its neighboring communities. In addition to the hospital, Lutheran Health Care sponsors small family health centers all over Brooklyn. It also operates the Lutheran Augustana Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation in Sunset Park and sponsors senior citizen apartment houses, including Shore Hill in Bay Ridge.

The agreement paves the way for both institutions to address the changing healthcare environment, as payment reform has shifted the focus from hospital to community based care, officials said. They pointed to data showing that patients who in the past have travelled to Manhattan for care are now seeking high quality, patient-centered primary and specialty care in their own neighborhoods.

The goals of the affiliation include:

• Creating a fully integrated delivery system in Brooklyn by leveraging Lutheran’s existing primary care network and community relationships.

• Developing a system-wide, state-of-the-art IT infrastructure and connectivity to support clinical integration and population health management.

• Enabling interventions by specialists earlier and more often for chronic conditions.

• Focusing on key program initiatives including maternal and child health, cancer services, and cardiac and vascular services.

NYU Langone and Lutheran are already serving as partners for patients currently being seen at NYU Langone-Cobble Hill, the freestanding emergency department at the site of the former Long Island College Hospital.