WESTFIELD – In a release Wednesday, Ron Bryant, president and CEO of Noble Hospital in Westfield announced that nine medical professionals have joined Noble Hospital and the Noble Medical Group as part of the Noble Health Network.
Doctors Michelle Barnett, Roger Beneitone, Laura Gioiella, Gary Jacobson, Arthur King, Ramachandran Kuppuswamy and Ira Nathanson, Nurse Practioner Elizaveta House and Physicians Assistant Viktoria Madden were formerly employed by Hampden County Physician Associates, LLC, and joined Noble at the start of the month.
The doctors and their associates had formally staffed the HCPA practices in Westfeld and Southwick.
They became available when HCPA ceased operations at the end of the day Friday, Oct. 31. The group of had sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 2.
“Noble is excited to welcome these providers into our network of physicians. They will continue to provide the same exceptional services to you, now under Noble Medical Group within the Noble Health Network,” said Bryant in the statement.
Patients of the two affected practices will probably not notice any change in the services they receive. Bryant’s statement also points out that existing appointment times and dates will not change for patients and access to their medical records will not change. The doctors will continue to accept the same insurance plans which were accepted by the HCPA practices.
Doctors Barnet and Beneitone, formerly practicing at the HCPA office on Southampton Road, are relocating their practice and joining Noble Medical Group at 57 Union Street in Westfield at the Noble Medical Building.
The staff at the College Highway HCPA office, Southwick medical practitioners King, MD; House, NP; Nathanson, MD; Jacobson, MD; Kupuswamy, MD; Madden, PA; and Gioiella, MD, will be staying at their former location but will now be operating with Noble Medical Group within the Noble Health Network.
Additionally, The Sisters of Providence Health System is pleased to welcome 19 physician members, as well as physician assistants, nurse practitioners and staff members formerly with HCPA to the Mercy Medical Group, a multi-specialty group of physicians who practice throughout the Pioneer Valley. Plans are for these providers to continue practicing at the former HCPA locations in Springfield, East Longmeadow, Ludlow and Feeding Hills. These offices are located at 175 Carew Street in Springfield, 98 Shaker Road in East Longmeadow, 1 Moody Street in Ludlow, and 1158 Springfield Street in Feeding Hills.
This transition is in the best interest of patient care, as it allows patients of HCPA to continue to receive care without interruption.
“Mercy recognizes the importance of retaining primary care physicians who already have established practices. We also remain committed to adding additional primary care physicians to improve access to clinical services in Western Massachusetts,” said Daniel P. Moen, president and CEO, Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS).
This new arrangement also strengthens the longstanding collaboration between Mercy Medical Center and former HCPA providers on high quality patient care and patient experience improvement. Patients will also benefit from enhanced patient care services through Mercy’s continuum of care options.
“This will be a transparent and seamless transition for patients as they maintain access to their physicians and other providers,” said Moen. “We have already put new service enhancements in place, such as the Coordinated Care Center telephone line that is available to assist Mercy Medical Group patients with questions about the practice transition or other matters related to their care.”
For further information about the Mercy Medical Group, patients are directed to call their physician or the Coordinated Care Center at (413) 748-7444.
