COLUMBIA, Md. (May 26, 2015)—MedStar Health is pleased to announce that Shah Associates, a multispecialty medical practice serving southern Maryland, is now part of MedStar. The practice is called MedStar Shah Medical Group, and the change was effective April 1. By joining with MedStar Health—the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region—patients have expanded access to community-based care and complex specialty services when needed.

Shah Associates and MedStar already collaborate to bring healthcare services to the area. The medical practice has 14 office locations and more than 85 providers in 17 medical specialties. MedStar operates two hospitals in southern Maryland—MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital and MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center. Both are deeply committed to the region and share a common mission.

In order to positively impact the health of the community, MedStar and Shah Associates will focus on screenings, patient education and disease management. MedStar Health has already brought to the region a number of screenings and specialists from top notch programs from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center. With the addition of the Shah Associates’ assets, the community will see even more new health offerings to complement existing services.

“By expanding our relationship, we can ensure that residents of southern Maryland have access to a broader range of quality healthcare options and additional resources to improve their lives,” says M. Joy Drass, MD, executive vice president and chief operating officer for MedStar Health.  

Vinod Shah, MD, president of Shah Associates, says, “This is a natural outgrowth of our long standing relationship and common vision. The resources that a health system such as MedStar brings—depth and breadth of services plus expanded access to clinical trials, education and innovation—are a real benefit for communities and the physicians who care for them.”

The providers of the new MedStar Shah Medical Group will continue to see patients in their current office locations.