Private equity-backed urology practice enters interventional radiology with new outpatient center
A private equity-backed urology practice is partnering with experts in interventional radiology to launch a new IR-focused facility in the Midwest.
Central Ohio Urology Group on Monday announced the opening of its Interventional Radiology Center in Worthington, a northern suburb of Columbus. It’s also launching a “groundbreaking” initiative, offering minimally invasive procedures for men with enlarged prostates.
To add this new service, Central Ohio Urology is working with Prostate Centers USA, a McLean, Virginia-based IR group that operates a network of locations across several states.
“The new Interventional Radiology Center enables our urologists and their interventional radiology colleagues to work hand in hand to provide comprehensive urologic care for our patients in a convenient, outpatient environment where patient care is at the forefront,” Jason Guagenti, chief operating officer of Central Ohio Urology, said in a statement. “From scheduling to the procedure to aftercare requirements, our streamlined system is designed to focus on the patient's needs and experience first."
Based in the Columbus suburb of Gahanna, Central Ohio Urology is an affiliate of the larger U.S. Urology Partners, which has 60 locations and is supported by NMS Capital. The practice in 2022 hired Guagenti away from Riverside Radiology & Interventional Associates in Columbus, where he had worked as VP and executive director.
Central Ohio Urology joins a growing number of practices seeking to integrate with intervention radiology. In December, the Michigan Institute of Urology announced a similar partnership with Prostate Centers USA to open IR Centers at MIU. Under the managed services agreement, the IR group is overseeing the center and handling the billing. At the time, Prostate Centers USA founder, CEO and radiologist Sandeep Bagla, MD, said he sees this as a growing trend.
“This partnership signifies a leap forward in providing world-class care, particularly for those suffering from conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia,” Bagla said in Monday’s announcement from Central Ohio Radiology. “By combining our expertise in interventional radiology with the comprehensive urological services offered by Central Ohio Urology Group, we are setting a new standard in patient care.”
Services offered at the new Ohio center will include prostate artery embolization, a new minimally invasive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. IR also can treat several other concerns such as blockages of the urinary tract, vascular abnormalities that commonly cause pain, and urologic malignancies, those involved noted.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.