Corporate partner Surgical Care Affiliates has obtained a majority share of California-based DISC Sports & Spine Center, one of the leading spine surgical centers in the United States. Both parties hope to grow the relationship into a model of sustainable health care.

Neurological spine surgeon Robert S. Bray Jr., MD, who launched DISC on a foundation of minimally invasive spine procedures and advanced arthroscopic techniques, will hand the keys to the daily business operations over to SCA. He hopes the consulting firm's clinical, financial and operational network will maximize the outpatient offerings of DISC's surgery centers in Marina del Rey and Newport Beach.

DISC will also work with SCA to build national benchmarking programs designed to improve the safe handling of high-acuity patients in the outpatient setting.

Michael Rucker, SCA's executive vice president and chief operating officer, says his firm is looking forward to tapping into DISC's expertise and working with a reputable center that achieves positive outcomes in complex outpatient surgery. He calls DISC the "ideal partner" for furthering his company's goals of improving healthcare delivery in an accountable care system where reimbursements follow quality results.

Daniel Cook