Kaweah Health photo

Kaweah Health announced Tuesday its partnership with Keck Medicine of USC, collaborating with the school to address the rising community need of urology services in the Visalia area.

Kaweah Health will operate the downtown Visalia clinic with Inderbir S. Gill, M.D., executive director of USC Urology, part of Keck Medicine, and chair of urology studies at Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Gill is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of robotic and laparoscopic surgeries for urologic cancers.

The partnership will see five urologists from Keck partnering with three local urologists alongside Gill, ensuring that patients have improved, on-call care.

The clinic will provide patients access to a world-renowned urology program, ranked top-10 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

“Working alongside the Kaweah Health system enables us to deliver preeminent urology care at a convenient location, lowering geographical barriers to access for these patients,” said Dr. Gill. “We are thrilled to work alongside our esteemed medical colleagues and our already strong local urology colleagues at Kaweah Health to expand the spectrum of available services for this community.”

Keck Medicine, the second oldest California medical school behind the UCSF School of Medicine, will relieve pressure on urology services already in high demand in the Central Valley.

Recently, a community study by the Coker Group found that of the recommended number of 11 urologists in Tulare County, currently, there are only four.

Individuals with Medi-Cal, which accounts for 55% of the Tulare County population, are currently offered limited options for local urology services.

“We all know that urology and gastroenterology are significantly under-resourced specialties,” said Gary Herbst, CEO of Kaweah Health. “Our patients would normally have to leave the community.”

This partnership aims to lift some of that burden.

Urology is a specialty addressing diseases of the urinary and genital systems. Urinary conditions like difficulty urinating, blood in the urine and kidney cancer are among many complications that can arise from these issues.

The partnership will also bring female urology, male infertility, robotic surgery for cancer and non-cancer conditions, stone disease treatment, cancer treatments, urinary leakage, microsurgery and genital urinary reconstruction to the Central Valley.

“The caliber of Keck Medicine’s urologists available at the new clinic is outstanding,” said Gill. “These are seasoned experts, all of whom are subspecialty fellowship-trained, and in many instances among the top-rated physicians in the nation for their respective specialties.”

The urology center is located at 325 S. Willis St. in Visalia, and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Referrals are currently being accepted.

More information can be found at www.kaweahhealth.org/urology, or by calling (559) 624-4026.