New physicians' practice to open in Norfolk

New England Quality Care Alliance and Tufts Medical Center to Break Ground on New Group Practice in Norfolk

Pondville Medical Associates to enhance local primary and specialty care access

BRAINTREE, Mass. (September 25, 2013)—New England Quality Care Alliance (NEQCA), a network of more than 1,800 community and academic physicians affiliated with Tufts Medical Center has partnered with several of its esteemed network physicians to create a new independent group practice in Norfolk.  Pondville Medical Associates expects to open in September 2014. 

Pondville Medical Associates, located at 31 Pine Street in Norfolk, is part of NEQCA-affiliated Primary Care Medical Associates, LLC (PCMA) of Norwood and consists of eight primary care physicians with varying sub-specialties.  The existing NEQCA primary care physicians include John Adams, MD; Ahmed Basheer, MD; Rezene Berhane, MD; Abdul Fatah Elshaar, MD; Michael Higgins, MD; Riad Mortada, MD; and Hua Zhang, MD.  Other primary care physicians are expected to join the practice when it opens in September 2014.  Additionally, the Pondville facility will house space for local specialists including John Frasca, MD; (Surgery); Mohamad Elzaru, MD (Cardiology); Raymond Paul-Blanc, MD (Urology); and Steven Spiegel, MD (Nephrology).

“We are very excited to embark on this new partnership,” said Dr. Riad Mortada.  “Our physicians are dedicated to providing excellent care to our community in a timely manner, and along with NEQCA, PCMA, and our local and tertiary specialists, we hope to bring an exemplary medical center to the town of Norfolk.”

The 36,000 square foot building will house the Pondville physicians as well as several different specialty services, including a regular rotating specialty presence from Tufts Medical Center Physicians Organization.  The Pondville physicians will continue to use Norwood Hospital as their local community hospital and Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children for tertiary care.

“NEQCA is proud to assist in the development of this new group practice in Norfolk,” said Dr. Jeff Lasker, President and CEO of NEQCA.  “This partnership builds on our expertise in assisting our physicians with reorganization of solo or small practices at appropriate times, and transitioning those practices into larger multi-specialty groups most effectively.  We are thrilled about this opportunity and believe it will further support our mission of delivering high quality, low cost health care to Massachusetts residents.”

About New England Quality Care Alliance (NEQCA)
New England Quality Care Alliance is a partnership of community and academic physicians dedicated to providing comprehensive, innovative, high-quality and affordable health care that brings value to their patients and the community.  NEQCA is comprised of almost 500 primary care physicians and pediatricians along with more than 1,100 specialists, located in practices across Eastern Massachusetts, from the Merrimack Valley to Cape Cod.  NEQCA physicians are organized into groups called Local Care Organizations (LCOs), and are on staff at community hospitals throughout Eastern Massachusetts.  The NEQCA network is integrated with Tufts Medical Center, the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine and the Floating Hospital for Children, the full-service children's hospital of Tufts Medical Center and the principal pediatric teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine.  For more information, please visit: www.neqca.org

About Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children

Tufts Medical Center is an exceptional, not-for-profit, 415-bed academic medical center that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and Floating Hospital for Children. Conveniently located in downtown Boston, the Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. Floating Hospital for Children is the full-service children's hospital of Tufts Medical Center and the principal pediatric teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine. Tufts Medical Center is affiliated with seven community hospitals and with New England Quality Care Alliance, its community physicians’ network. For more information, please visit: www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org.

About Pondville Medical Associates

Pondville Medical Associates is a group of solo practitioners, affiliated with New England Quality Care Alliance and Primary Care, LLC of Norwood, who have joined forces to practice under the same roof in Norfolk, MA. Their physicians have practiced in the area for over 20 years, and will continue to use Norwood Hospital as their local community hospital and Tufts Medical Center for tertiary care.