Joint replacement surgery group joins forces with St. Francis Hospital

MOORESVILLE, Ind. – After more than 10 years of professional collaboration, Joint Replacement Surgeons of Indiana (JSRI), a leading internationally recognized orthopedics practice, and St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers will fully integrate, effective today (March 15).

JRSI will operate under the name St. Francis Medical Group-Joint Replacement Surgeons from offices on the campus of St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville and on the north side of Indianapolis.

“Through this integration, St. Francis and this orthopedic surgery group will continue the high quality service patients have come to expect while also investing resources in applying the science and research that is transforming the delivery of orthopedic care,” said Robert J. Brody, St. Francis president and chief executive officer.

“This integration is a natural extension of our long relationship with St. Francis as partners in the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery at St. Francis Hospital–Mooresville,” said orthopedic surgeon John B. Meding, M.D. “Throughout our association, St. Francis Hospital and our practice have shared a patient-focused mission and a dedication to delivering only the highest level of orthopedic care — from prevention and treatment to research and education.”

The St. Francis Medical Group (SFMG) is an association of 120 physicians who have partnered with St. Francis Hospital to provide high quality medical care to the residents of Indianapolis and south-central Indiana.

“Fully integrating our organizations provides additional support and resources to advance our commitment to offer the best medical care – in this case world-class orthopedic treatment – to Indiana and surrounding states,” said SFMG President Glenn Loomis, M.D.

JRSI orthopedic surgeon Merrill A. Ritter, M.D., founded the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery in 1986 at what was then Kendrick Memorial Hospital in Mooresville. It was the first center in Indiana to specialize in joint replacement surgery. St. Francis acquired the Kendrick hospital in 2000 and has continued that partnership with JRSI, culminating in today’s formal integration.

The center performs nearly 2,000 joint replacements each year and is recognized as a leader in joint replacement surgery, treating patients from all over Indiana, the Midwest and the nation.

It is ranked No. 1 in Indiana for joint surgery for the fourth year in a row by HealthGrades, the leading health care ratings service. HealthGrades reviews more than 5,000 hospitals throughout the United States and ranks those medical facilities using Medicare data and quality measures, such as complication rates.

The center also is ranked in the top 5 percent in the nation for joint surgery and has been a 5-star rated hospital for joint care for the past eight consecutive years.

Its surgeons have instructed hundreds of surgeons from around the world in the latest techniques and methods for joint implants.

To learn more about the center, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org and click on the link for the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery on the home page.

More information about St. Francis Medical Group can be found at www.StFrancisDoctors.org.