Summit Medical and CityMD Mark Merger Anniversary

By Eric Althoff

NEW YORK—A year after merging operations, CityMD of New York and Summit Medical Group (SMG) of Berkeley Heights, N.J., are marking the anniversary by touting their joint efforts at working to alleviate overrun healthcare facilities in the New York Metro Area, which suffered greatly during the spring spike in cases of the coronavirus.

The joint operation announced last month that their urgent care centers were able to take up the slack when the region’s emergency rooms were deluged with the wave of cases earlier this year.  In addition to handling non-COVID-related patients, the healthcare operation was able to assist with COVID-19 diagnostic testing to such an extent that it tripled testing capacity in and around New York.  Furthermore, Summit facilities have undertaken to care for the sickest patients from New Jersey hospitals when many other facilities had to pivot specifically to covid care.

“We knew our combined organization possessed incredible strengths and capabilities, but the COVID-19 crisis showed the true colors of Summit CityMD’s teams and providers, as well as the values that underpin both organizations,” Jeffrey Le Benger, CEO of Summit CityMD, said in a recent statement.  “What we’ve experienced ultimately advanced us down the path because of how we were able to come together in this crisis.”

In the first months of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, CityMD and SMG both experienced a slowdown in routine care, but recently they have been seeing an uptick in elective procedures and even essential surgeries that had to take a backseat when the pandemic hit.

Other benefits of the merger within its first year included an increased presence of primary care in New York, urgent care expansion, as well as “co-located” physicians working in both New York and New Jersey.

At present, Summit CityMD employs over 8,000 people at several hundred different locations on both sides of the Hudson River.  Summit CityMD says that its future plans for expansion entail rebranding as a singular entity but maintaining both individual brands.  The joint venture will also be expanding into more locations as well as investing in what they call “an enhanced digital experience” for patients.