Cardiovascular patients in Verde Valley now have a single destination for care.

Verde Valley Medical Center finalized its buyout of Cardiac Care in Cottonwood on Oct. 1. VVMC will integrate Cardiac Care’s heart patients into its Heart & Vascular Center of Northern Arizona.

Founded about 15 years ago by Dr. Nitin Patel, Cardiac Care had been providing primary care and cardiovascular medicine on Willard Street, directly across State Route 89A from VVMC’s Cottonwood campus.

“With my departure from the community, it was important to make certain that Cardiac Care’s tradition of quality care and excellent customer service was put in the proper hands,” Patel stated in a press release. “Verde Valley Medical Center was the logical and best choice.”

Buyout negotiations began about a year ago, said Dr. James Bleicher, president and CEO of VVMC.

“He approached us, I think in the best interest of the patients,” Bleicher said. “I think he felt satisfied with what he had built here and was ready to start something new.”

Cardiac Care and VVMC were friendly rivals, Bleicher said, but were partners in providing quality care.

VVMC took over the lease of the Cardiac Care building, which is owned by third-party investors. There are some licensing issues to finish up but Bleicher said he expects the transition to be complete by Wednesday, Dec. 1.

VVMC will move its primary care practice, Family Health Providers, from its current offices at 199 S. Candy Lane to the former Cardiac Care building, said Dale Pugh, vice president of marketing and public affairs.

The primary care providers at Cardiac Care will join Family Health Providers. Cardiac Care had a number of primary care providers with Patel, the cardiovascular specialist, Bleicher said, so the transition into the building should be smooth.

VVMC has offered patients of Cardiac Care to begin receiving their treatment at the HVCNA, Bleicher said. HVCNA is located at 294 W. SR 89A, Suite 107, Cottonwood.

Bleicher said the feedback from patients has been “very positive.” Patients are going to have better service and better quality as the two former rivals become one, he said.

Patients of Cardiac Care received letters explaining the transition. To answer further questions VVMC staffs a hotline for Cardiac Care patients at 634-3025. Most if not all of the Cardiac Care doctors and staff will make the move to VVMC.

The goal is to make the transition easy for Cardiac Care patients, Bleicher said.

A hospital with Northern Arizona Healthcare, VVMC runs the Sedona campus of VVMC, the Camp Verde Health Center and the Village of Oak Creek Health Center and employs more than 800 people including 100 physicians.