Building on a longstanding affiliation with Duke Health, Triangle Urology Associates recently joined the Duke Health system. Now named Duke Triangle Urology Associates, the practice is fully integrated and offers patients with suspected genitourinary (GU) cancers even quicker access to advanced diagnostics and treatment at the Duke Center for Prostate and Genitourinary Cancer. 

This Q&A with Duke Triangle Urology Associates urologist Jason Rothman, MD, discusses how the new partnership will improve efficiency and care coordination for patients in Wake County. 
 

We’ve had a full-service urological community practice for years, and we’ve always prioritized providing high-quality, personalized care for adults in Wake County with urologic concerns. I’ll also continue seeing patients in Chapel Hill, which opens opportunities for patients to receive care at that location. Being a part of Duke is a win-win for everyone. It helps us connect our patients seamlessly with Duke’s oncology experts, and we share records and tools to ensure continuity of care.

Our goal has always been to offer accessible, efficient care. Medicine is always evolving with newer technologies. With Duke, we know that our patients will have fast access to the best possible options and care if their needs expand beyond what we provide.

We’ve always had a close affiliation with Duke GU oncology colleagues. We’ve been the only urology group with privileges at Duke Regional Hospital for some time, but this partnership further strengthens our collaboration and integration within the larger Duke entity. 

Now, we’re operating under the same EHR, so our referrals are direct within the system. Our notes are also part of the patient’s care journey within Duke. We’re always informed about patients’ progress through treatment and when we need to support them in our practice. This improves care for patients with suspected or diagnosed GU cancers, and enhances access to the level of care they need at any time.

Prostate and bladder cancer are the most common cancers we see in our practice, and we’ve been referring patients to Duke for oncology care for many years. We have very good relationships with the Duke medical oncology team. We are very impressed with the care patients receive at Duke because they have access to the multidisciplinary clinic where they see all relevant specialists in one consultation and leave with a personalized treatment plan.

Patients will only benefit from this partnership. They receive the same community-style care they’ve received from us for years, including free, convenient parking and easy access. We’ll continue to offer biopsies, cystoscopies, and CTs in our office for diagnostic purposes, and also continue MRI fusion biopsies at Duke Regional Hospital to achieve the most accurate diagnosis possible. The upside for patients is a quicker pathway to see a Duke specialist if needed. 

When it comes to prostate cancer, we have more patients on active surveillance than ever before. We follow patients for many years and share decision-making with them. If their condition changes, we know we can fast-track care to prostate cancer specialists at Duke who can offer our patients the latest treatments. This supports our continued goal to offer patients the best care possible.