Summit Health

Summit Health traces its beginnings to October 1919, when co-founders William H. Lawrence, MD, and Maynard G. Bensley, MD established the company as Summit Medical Group in Summit, New Jersey.{{Cite news |date=1937-09-09 |title=Dr. W. H. Lawrence Buys New Home |pages=9 |work=Bernardsville News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110412651/dr-w-h-lawrence-buys-new-home/ |access-date=2022-09-29}} The two had met in the United States Army's World War I Ambulance Company 33, which Lawrence had organized, and which was later headed by Bensley. Lawrence attained the rank of Major, and Bensley attained the rank of Captain, in their participation in the ambulance company.{{Cite web |title=World War I Ambulance Corps Formed in Summit in 1917 |url=http://www.summithistoricalsociety.org/historian/2016/3/26/world-war-i-ambulance-corps-formed-in-summit-in-1917 |access-date=2022-09-29 |website=Summit Historical Society |language=en-US}} Lawrence was in charge of the unit for a year until he became ill in 1918, and Bensley then led it until it was disbanded a year later.{{Cite news |date=1919-08-20 |title=Personal Mentions of Hamburg Residents |pages=13 |work=The Buffalo Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110416125/personal-mentions-of-hamburg-residents/ |access-date=2022-09-29}} The teamwork they experienced as army medical staff led them to try to replicate the idea in civilian life, and they founded the first team medicine practice in New Jersey in 1919. In 1931, they expanded into a group practice with a total of seven or eight doctors.{{Cite news |date=1931-05-21 |title=Summit Doctors Will Organize Under New Plan |pages=7 |work=The Item of Millburn and Short Hills |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110427695/summit-doctors-will-organize-under-new/ |access-date=2022-09-29}}{{Cite news |date=1980-08-05 |title=Doctors Use Team Approach |pages=2 |work=Daily Record |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110417289/doctors-use-team-approach/ |access-date=2022-09-29}} While the original partnership "team" was known as Summit Health, the group practice was organized as the Lawrence-Bensley Medical Group, but eventually readopted the Summit name.

Lawrence enrolled in Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons at the age of 15.{{Cite web |title=World War I Ambulance Corps Formed in Summit in 1917 |url=http://www.summithistoricalsociety.org/historian/2016/3/26/world-war-i-ambulance-corps-formed-in-summit-in-1917 |access-date=2022-09-29 |website=Summit Historical Society |language=en-US}} He became a surgeon, founder of Overlook Hospital, and a resident of Murray Hill.

Bensley was originally from Hamburg, New York (born in Buffalo),{{Cite news |date=1934-11-01 |title=Hamburg |pages=7 |work=The Angola Record |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110411883/hamburg/ |access-date=2022-09-29}}{{Cite news |date=1912-06-16 |title=Society Affairs |pages=27 |work=The Buffalo Sunday Morning News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110412022/society-affairs/ |access-date=2022-09-29}}{{Cite news |date=1985-03-24 |title=Obituary for Maynard G. Bensley (Aged 95) |pages=16 |work=Daily Record |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110426636/obituary-for-maynard-g-bensley-aged/ |access-date=2022-09-29}} the son of a local banker, George A. Bensley, and Margaret Woodruff.{{Cite news |date=1932-11-26 |title=Obituary for George A Bensley (Aged 70) |pages=1 |work=Buffalo Evening News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110416660/obituary-for-george-a-bensley-aged-70/ |access-date=2022-09-29}} He attended the University of Michigan and the University of Buffalo, from which he received his medical degree in 1910.{{Cite news |date=1911-05-25 |title=Here, There, Everywhere |pages=5 |work=Buffalo Courier |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110417118/here-there-everywhere/ |access-date=2022-09-29}}{{Cite news |date=1909-01-02 |title=Hamburg News |pages=15 |work=Buffalo Evening News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110412344/hamburg-news/ |access-date=2022-09-29}} He started practicing medicine as a surgeon and general practitioner, but became an obstetrician in 1931. He lived in Summit and Maplewood, New Jersey.{{Cite news |last=Bensley |date=1951-07-26 |title=Marriage of Rippel |pages=6 |work=The Madison Eagle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110416906/marriage-of-rippel-bensley/ |access-date=2022-09-29}}{{Cite news |date=2004-01-25 |title=Peter D. Bensley, 51; ran construction firm |pages=53 |work=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110411369/peter-d-bensley-51-ran-construction/ |access-date=2022-09-29}} Bensley died on March 23, 1985, at the age of 95. His wife, Helen Flemer Plunkett, who performed a community medicine auxiliary role, died on July 5, 2007, at the age of 108.{{Cite news |date=2007-07-13 |title=Helen Flemer Bensley |pages=17 |work=Daily Record |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110428025/helen-flemer-bensley/ |access-date=2022-09-29}} They were married in 1938.{{Cite news |last=Bensley |date=1938-02-25 |title=Marriage of Plunkett |pages=3 |work=The Chatham Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110430394/marriage-of-plunkett-bensley/ |access-date=2022-09-29}}

In 1950, Lawrence and Bensley expanded to a second location at 120 Summit Avenue in Summit, New Jersey. In 2003, Summit Medical Group signed a lease for a 42-acre office complex in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, that formerly housed the D&B Corporation.{{Cite news |last=Garbarine |first=Rachelle |date=2003-06-15 |title=Commercial Property/New Jersey; Murray Hill Office Park to Become Medical Campus |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/15/realestate/commercial-property-new-jersey-murray-hill-office-park-to-become-medical-campus.html |access-date=2022-04-06 |issn=0362-4331}}

In 2013, Summit Medical Group established the Summit Medical Group Foundation, a nonprofit organization operating in the segments of health promotion, medical research and medical education.{{Cite web |title=Summit Medical Group Foundation Launched |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/summit_medical_group_foundation_launched/prweb11157568.htm |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=PRWeb}}

In 2014, Summit Medical Group launched a new management company, Summit Health Management (SHM). SHM offers consulting and management services to physician practices in the United States.{{Cite web |title=Summit Health Management Partners, Hackensack University Health Network plan ambulatory care center |url=https://www.beckersasc.com/asc-transactions-and-valuation-issues/summit-health-management-partners-hackensack-university-health-network-plan-ambulatory-care-center.html |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=www.beckersasc.com}}

In 2019, Summit Medical Group merged with CityMD.

In 2021, the company was renamed Summit Health, and Summit Medical Group Foundation was subsequently renamed Summit Health Cares.

As of April 2022, Summit Health includes more than 200 satellite offices across northern New Jersey and New York.{{Cite web |title=Locations {{!}} Summit Medical Group |url=http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/locations/ |access-date=2016-05-11 |website=www.summitmedicalgroup.com}}

In November 2022, Walgreens Boots Alliance's primary-care-center subsidiary, Village Practice Management agreed to buy Summit Health in a deal worth nearly $9{{nbsp}}billion, including debt.{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Laura |date=2022-11-07 |title=Walgreens Unit to Buy Summit Health |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/walgreens-unit-close-to-roughly-9-billion-deal-with-summit-health-11667793542 |work=The Wall Street Journal}} The acquisition was completed in January 2023.

• In 2002, Summit Health began a multi-year project to implement practice-wide electronic health records (EHR). By 2007, it was completely paperless.{{Cite web |date=2012-03-27 |title=Allscripts-Misys pitches its own electronic records 'stimulus plan' to physicians |url=http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=158371 |access-date=2022-04-06 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327181711/http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=158371 |archive-date=27 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}
• Summit Health developed a "Diabetes Live Well Program". In June 2008, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) awarded it an Education Recognition Certificate for the diabetes program {{Cite web |date=2010-12-16 |title=Summit Medical Group: Integrated Care |url=http://www.inside-healthcare.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2380:summit-medical-group-integrated-care&catid=136:physician-group&Itemid=218 |access-date=2022-04-06 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216184657/http://www.inside-healthcare.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2380:summit-medical-group-integrated-care&catid=136:physician-group&Itemid=218 |archive-date=16 December 2010 |url-status=dead}}
• In September 2009, Summit Health released "Coordination of Multidisciplinary Resources for Vaccination of Egg-allergic Individuals During an H1N1 (Novel) Influenza Pandemic," a study showing the benefits of H1N1 immunization and the safety of vaccines for egg-allergic patients.{{Cite web |last=Press |first=Independent |date=2010-09-08 |title=Summit Medical Group study demonstrates H1N1 vaccine can be given safely to those with egg allergies |url=https://www.nj.com/independentpress/2010/09/summit_medical_group_study_dem.html |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=nj |language=en}}
• In January 2016, Health joined Trinity Health Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Trinity Health ACO is one of 21 ACOs selected to participate in the Next Generation ACO, under the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), a division of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This model builds on experience from the Pioneer ACO Model and the Medicare Shared Savings Programs and allows ACOs to assume higher levels of financial risk and reward.
• In March 2016, Summit Health joined forces with other health care organizations in the American Medical Group Foundation’s "Diabetes: Together 2 Goal®" campaign. The goal of this three-year campaign is to improve care and outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes.{{Cite web |title=Participating AMGA Members {{!}} Together 2 Goal |url=http://www.together2goal.org/About/participatingMems_about.html |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=www.together2goal.org |language=en}}
• Summit Health has participated in clinical research for allergy, asthma, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, lupus, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, sinus disease and oncology. Its oncology trials include studies for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, lymphoma, and prostate cancer.{{Cite web |title=Clinical Research {{!}} Summit Health |url=https://www.summithealth.com/services/clinical-research |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=www.summithealth.com}}

Among its 67, Summit Health has four main operational locations:

1. Berkeley Heights, New Jersey (headquarters){{Cite web |title=Berkeley Heights Campus {{!}} Summit Health |url=https://www.summithealth.com/locations/berkeley-heights-campus |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=www.summithealth.com}}
2. Florham Park, New Jersey{{Cite web |last=NJ.com |first=Special to |date=2015-06-16 |title=Summit Medical Group holds grand opening of new medical facility in Florham Park |url=https://www.nj.com/summit_medical_group/2015/06/summit_medical_group_holds_gra.html |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=nj |language=en}}
3. Livingston, New Jersey{{Cite web |title=Summit Medical Group Holds Grand Opening Ceremony |url=https://www.tapinto.net/columns/summit-medical-group-corner/articles/summit-medical-group-holds-grand-opening-ceremony |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=TAPinto |language=en}}
4. Westfield, New Jersey{{Cite web |title=Summit Medical Group Unveils Westfield Hub, Urgent Care Center |url=https://www.tapinto.net/articles/summit-medical-group-unveils-westfield-hub-urgen |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=TAPinto |language=en}}

Summit Health has additional affiliations and partnerships with the following:{{Cite web |date=2016-09-25 |title=Summit Medical Group |url=http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/about/Our-Affiliations/ |access-date=2022-04-06 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925201317/http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/about/Our-Affiliations/ |archive-date=25 September 2016 |url-status=dead}}

• Chilton Medical Center
• Clara Maass Medical Center
• Hackensack University Medical Center
• Hoboken University Medical Center
• Morristown Medical Center
• NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital
• Overlook Medical Center
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
• Saint Barnabas Medical Center
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

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• {{Official website|https://www.summithealth.com/}}

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Category:Health care companies based in New Jersey

Category:1929 establishments in New Jersey

Category:Summit, New Jersey

Category:Medical and health organizations based in New Jersey

Category:Clinics in the United States

Category:2023 mergers and acquisitions