Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health and Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed Health & Hospitals signed an agreement to integrate their heart programs into a single heart service, effective March 1.
The collaboration, Heart Care Plus+, will create a network of physicians, providers, outpatient practices, facilities and hospitals working together to provide the highest quality care to residents in the area. The organizations will retain their independence throughout the process and upon completion.
The partnership is the result of discussions that began June 2014.
"We believe this collaboration will result in synergies in treatment, leading to improved care, value and convenience for heart patients in Wake County," said William Fulkerson, MD, executive vice president of Duke University Health System. "When fully operational, patients in Wake County will be able to access the highest quality cardiovascular specialty services — based on their specific disease and condition — at the most medically appropriate and convenient locations."