Sparks Family Medicine purchased by medical group

By Steve Green

Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 | 3:59 p.m.

Canyon Gate Medical Group has acquired Sparks Family Medicine on West Twain Avenue in the Summerlin area as part of a campaign to dramatically expand its personalized-service primary care practice in Las Vegas.

Canyon Gate offers concierge-type medical care guaranteeing patients quick, one-on-one attention from their doctors. It now has eight doctors in the Las Vegas area and hopes to expand to have 45 physicians at 12 local locations by the end of the year, a spokeswoman said.

Canyon Gate Medical Group is an affiliate of Outcome Based Delivery Systems, owner of medical practices in Las Vegas and South Florida.

Canyon Gate already has offices next to Southern Hills Hospital and across from Sunrise Hospital. Two more doctors will start working for the company in the next few months at 3960 W. Craig Road in North Las Vegas. Three physicians work out of the Sparks Family Medicine office.

The company says it has no membership fees and accepts most insurance coverage, making it affordable for most insured Las Vegans.

Sparks Family Medicine was founded in 2002 by Dr. Amy Sparks. It is a family-run medical office focusing on primary care, pediatrics and geriatrics. The terms of its sale were not disclosed.

The newly acquired Sparks Family Medicine will keep that name and will also call itself a "Canyon Gate Medical Group affiliate."

"We are thrilled to have Dr. Sparks and the staff at Sparks Family Medicine join Canyon Gate Medical Group," Dr. Eric Moskow, chief executive officer of Canyon Gate Medical Group, said in a statement. "Dr. Sparks exudes the passion and vision for high-quality patient care that we look for in all of our physicians. We hope to expand the practice into a full-service location with imaging, laboratories and pharmacy care by the end of the first quarter of the year."

Canyon Gate said it matches each patient with one primary doctor who is available to them 24 hours daily over the course of their life; serves as medical liaison with specialists, during hospital stays and emergency room visits; and offers same-day appointments with minimal wait times.

"Canyon Gate Medical Group holds a great vision for healthcare in Las Vegas," Dr. Sparks said in a statement. "I have always sought to maintain the quality of care, patient service and sense of community associated with the 'small town' practices I remember from my residency in Kansas. This new partnership will allow our patients to have one location for the majority of their medical needs, enhancing their quality of life and access to superior healthcare."

"This new business venture will present our staff with security, benefits and a corporate leadership while allowing the constant focus to be on highly personalized patient care," Brett Sparks, practice manager, said in a statement. "Our employees are truly like family, and we are excited about the opportunities that this acquisition provides that we could not do on our own."