Akron hospital buying facility treating prostate cancer

Akron General Health System is acquiring a cancer treatment center from the region’s largest urology practice.

The health system announced on Wednesday that it is buying Physicians Urology’s outpatient prostate cancer treatment center on West Exchange Street near the hospital campus, effective Aug. 1.

Under the deal, Akron General will contract with the 12-physician practice to staff the center.

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The facility provides radiation therapy for prostate cancer, a disease of the male reproductive system that affects one in six men in their lifetime.

The multiyear professional services agreement also calls for the doctors to provide leadership for Akron General’s urological services, which the hospital intends to expand, said Dr. Tim Stover, Akron General’s president of outpatient services.

The specialty of urology focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases of the male and female urinary tract and the male reproductive organs.

‘‘Our goal is . . . to develop a center of excellence for men’s health,’’ Stover said.

The new partnership should help convince more patients to stay in Akron rather than seeking care from hospitals in Cleveland, Stover added.

The physician partners opted to align with Akron General as a way to expand services, said Dr. Ray Bologna, a partner in the practice and chair of urology for Akron General.

‘‘We really looked at a partnership as an opportunity to grow the urologic care in Summit County and surrounding counties,’’ he said. ‘‘We were looking for ways that we could really expand.’’

Physicians Urology opened its Center for Urologic Health and cancer treatment center in 2006 after the merger of two Akron-area physician practices.

The center offers diagnosis, treatment, education and support for patients with prostate cancer.

At the time, leaders of the practice estimated that the partners invested between $3 million and $4 million to open the center.

After the doctors opened their cancer treatment center, virtually all the outpatient radiation treatment for prostate cancer in Akron shifted away from the hospitals, Stover said.

Bologna said the center provides radiation treatments for 130 to 150 men with prostate cancer each year.

The new deal with Physicians Urology ‘‘expands our outpatient location,’’ Stover said. ‘‘It takes advantage of their expertise in developing and growing the urologic service line.’’

Financial terms of the deal between Akron General and the physician practice weren’t disclosed.

Hospitals here and nationwide increasingly are joining with physician groups, particularly those that compete for outpatient services.

Summa Health System, for example, last year entered a deal with the Crystal Clinic, a dominant orthopedic practice in the Akron area.

The health system and the 32-physician practice are equal partners in the venture, which includes inpatient orthopedic services at St. Thomas, the Crystal Clinic’s outpatient surgery center in Bath Township and physician practice locations throughout the region.

Physicians Urology will remain independent, Stover said. The dozen specialists will continue to practice at other hospitals in the region, including those owned by rival Summa.

The doctors with Physicians Urology perform about 30 percent of their hospital-based procedures at Akron General and the remaining at Summa facilities, including Akron City Hospital.

Akron General and Summa also share a residency in urology.