Attleboro, MA (August 7, 2023) – Sturdy Health and Tufts Medicine have entered into a new clinical partnership to expand access to comprehensive specialty care with an initial focus on cardiovascular services.
“This clinical partnership further expands our ability to provide the highest quality care in the communities we serve as an independent, locally owned and operated non-profit health system,” said Aimee Brewer, president and chief executive officer at Sturdy Health. “Not only will Sturdy Health patients have the advantage of broader service offerings locally, they will also benefit from a seamless experience for their tertiary care needs.”
In keeping with its existing clinical affiliations with other community-based health systems across the region, Tufts Medicine will aim to deliver a seamless experience for patients where care feels like an extension of Sturdy Health.
“As an integrated health system, Tufts Medicine works closely with hospital partners like Sturdy Health to ensure advanced care is offered in the most convenient location for patients,” said Michael Tarnoff, M.D., chief executive officer of Tufts Medical Center. “We look forward to providing a streamlined pathway to well-coordinated, complex care services to Sturdy Health and their patients.”
Together, Sturdy Health and Tufts Medicine will jointly recruit top-talent cardiologists to Sturdy Health. These physicians and surgeons will have reciprocal hospital privileges at Tufts Medical Center, providing access to advanced therapies, such as cardiac catheterization.
Tufts Medical Center is home to the largest advanced heart failure program in New England. The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA) named Tufts Medical Center one of only four Centers of Excellence in the treatment of this condition, which can profoundly affect quality of life and lead to heart failure. Since 2000, Tufts Medical Center has performed more adult heart transplants than any other hospital in New England.
Sturdy Health will continue its longstanding clinical partnership with Boston Medical Center and Shields Health, as well as its Radiation Oncology joint venture with Mass General Brigham and McLean Hospital for behavioral health services. Brewer adds, “We look forward to further expanding our specialty services and centers of excellence through our new clinical partnership with Tufts Medicine, as we continue to serve Southeastern Massachusetts and neighboring Rhode Island as the vibrant health system they have come to depend upon over the past 110 years.”
About Sturdy Health
Sturdy Health is an independent, not-for-profit health system comprised of an acute care hospital, 26 primary and specialty care medical offices and an Urgent Care Center dedicated to providing a broad range of healthcare services to the residents of communities in Southeastern Massachusetts and neighboring Rhode Island. Sturdy Health’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of the people in our communities through kindness, compassion and convenient access to the highest quality care.
About Tufts Medicine
Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community healthcare to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Hospital, Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford, Care at Home, and a large integrated physician network, Tufts Medicine has more than 15,000 dedicated care team members providing more than 1.5 million patient experiences per year. The health system is the principal teaching affiliate for Tufts University School of Medicine. Tufts Medicine came together in 2014 to leverage the experience of its member organizations and integrate their missions to together transform the ways that consumers engage with and experience their care.