National Surgical Hospitals(NSH; Chicago), an operator of freestanding specialty surgical hospitals and surgery centers, has formed a joint venture withJohn Muir/ Mt. Diablo Health System(Walnut Creek, California).

The new joint venture, Bay Area Surgical Ventures, along with area physicians, intends to develop at least two and up to five surgical facilities in the area.

The joint venture also plans to evaluate the feasibility of a surgical hospital to complement its healthcare services.

NSH currently has a presence in the area through its Sequoia Surgical Pavilion (also Walnut Creek). The surgery center specializes in general surgery, ENT, orthopedic surgery and pain management, and many of its physician partners practice at one or more of the John Muir/Mt. Diablo Health System’s facilities.

“This system already has a successful presence in Northern California, and we expect to build on the strong relationships that we already enjoy with our physician partners – and embark on new ones as we align with other physicians – to bring new surgical capabilities to the area,” said NSH Chairman, President and CEO John Rex-Waller.

Gambro to build dialyzer plant in Alabama

Gambro (Stockholm, Sweden) plans to build a new manufacturing plant for dialyzers with synthetic membrane in Opelika, Alabama. Gambro Renal Products, a business unit of the Gambro Group, will build the new manufacturing plant for dialyzers with synthetic membrane.

The new facility will enable Gambro to increase production capacity with about 10 million Polyflux dialyzers annually. Engineering will start in 2005 and it will take about three years before the plant is operational, the company said.

Gambro said its investment in the new manufacturing plant supports its strategy to further grow in the expanding market for dialyzers with synthetic membranes.