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Roanoke Orthopaedic Center to join Carilion Clinic

UPDATED 5:00 p.m.

Weeks of speculation surrounding Carilion Clinic's plans to merge with another local medical practice are over.

Carilion confirmed Tuesday it will combine its orthopaedic operation with Roanoke Orthopaedic Center, which is off Route 419, across the street from the county library.

It means patients will now be receiving treatment from one of the largest, if not the largest orthopaedic group in this region.

And we're told this was not a deal sought out by Carilion.

The president of Roanoke Orthopaedic says they were the ones to approach Carilion about three years back.

So now  Roanoke Orthopaedic and Carilion Bone and Joint will form a new practice called Carilion Clinic Orthopaedic.

Together they say they'll offer services where perhaps individually they lacked such as Sports Medicine.

"We have no specialists at our Carilion Bone and Joint Center Physicians. There are sports medicine specialists at Roanoke Orthopaedic Center so when we merge and become Carilion Clinic, Carilion Orthopaedic Clinic can offer sports medicine services," says Dr. Thomas Shuler of Carilion Bone and Joint.

"I think that the decision to join together and offer services is very much an individual decision. I think it's right for some practices and not right for others. Whether that's a sign of the times, I don't know it was right for us," says Dr. Hugh Hagan of Roanoke Orthopaedic Center.

There will be no layoffs as part of the merger and we're told the 419 location will stay open.

Some physicians could be moved to work closer to the hospital. The deal technically takes effect March 1st of next year.

As far as what this means considering there's a formal complaint by the Federal Trade Commission accusing Carilion of eliminating its completion?

Carilion says with this new merger they're in compliance, citing federal guidelines which say since they didn't seek out this opportunity they can hire and also this deal was in the works before the formal federal investigation began.

From Earlier:

Roanoke Orthopaedic Center will join Carilion Clinic.  A Carilion spokesman confirmed the new deal Tuesday afternoon.

Roanoke Orthopaedic and the existing Carilion Bone & Joint will combine to form a new practice under the Carilion Clinic umbrella, according to spokesman Eric Earnhart. 

The merger will take effect March First.  The new practice will be called Carilion Clinic - Orthopaedics.  Doctors will see patients at both the current Roanoke Orthopaedic office on Postal Drive in Roanoke County and at Carilion's Riverside Center on Jefferson Street in Roanoke.

Click here to read the complete news release from Carilion Clinic.

Watch News-7 at 5 for more information.