CEP Awarded First Out-of-State Contract in Oregon; Joseph Howton, MD, Accepts Position as Medical Director at Adventist Medical Center in Portland.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- The physicians at Adventist Medical Center in Portland have merged with California Emergency Physicians Medical Group (CEP) to form a new practice entity, Willamette Emergency Physicians. Effective May 1, the affiliation of CEP and WEP developed out of a mutual desire to share operational tools and expertise cultivated by both groups over the course of the last 30 years.

The complexities of delivering quality healthcare, including emergency medical services, increase every year, due in part to legislation and rising insurance costs. A larger network of resources often proves beneficial to the physicians, hospital and, ultimately, the patients. With its size and diversity of patient populations, California regularly faces a number of healthcare challenges. By responding with innovative and proven solutions, the state has become a leader in addressing issues that affect the emergency medicine services arena. Therefore, it follows naturally that CEP, a California-based medical group, contributes both the organizational structure and experience to successfully partner with the emergency physicians at Adventist Medical Center.

"The Adventist administration and the new Willamette Emergency Physicians' leadership have demonstrated a strong commitment to the success of this joint venture," says Dr. Martin Ogle, Regional Director.

Joseph Howton, MD, has accepted the role as Medical Director for the Adventist Medical Center ED. Following a national search, Dr. Howton was selected due to his sound leadership skills, academic achievements, and significant clinical experience. Dr. Ogle believes these attributes will prove advantageous in addressing the challenges Adventist Medical Center faces going forward.

As Medical Director, Dr. Howton's primary responsibilities will be to develop and refine the Emergency Department treatment team, strengthen and deepen medical staff relations, and advance the visions of Adventist Medical Center.

Dr. Howton received a bachelor of arts in Biological Sciences from the University of Rochester and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at the University of Southern California Medical Center and Los Angeles County Hospital. He is currently finishing a master's degree in Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa, and will assume his full-time duties as Medical Director July 1st.

The Adventist Emergency Department provides care to 3,200 patients each month. The hospital was recently presented with a bronze level 2004 California Awards for Performance Excellence (CAPE) Eureka distinction. It is the highest award in a three-tiered program bestowed by the California Council for Excellence, and Adventist Medical Center is the first outside California to ever receive the award. (CCE) honored Adventist for its superior performance in key health care business categories based on core values ranging from visionary leadership, to valuing staff and partners, to social responsibility and community health. In May of this year, Adventist Medical Center also received a Premier Award for Quality in Heart Failure, out of a pool of approximately 400 hospitals.

California Emergency Physicians Medical Group (CEP) was founded in 1975 and is the leading provider of physician staffing, management, and consulting services for Emergency Department and Ambulatory Care Practices in California. CEP includes more than 1,000 providers who treat nearly two million patients each year. For more information on CEP, visit their website at www.cep.com.