Empower Emergency Physicians An Emergency Care Partners Group

Empower Emergency Physicians An Emergency Care Partners Group

July 9, 2026

PHOENIX, AZ - July 9, 2026 - Emergency Care Partners (ECP), the nation's largest single specialty provider of emergency medicine physician services, today announced a new strategic partnership with Empower Emergency Physicians, a premier independent emergency medicine group based in the Phoenix Metropolitan area.

Founded in 2003, Empower Emergency Physicians serves as the exclusive emergency medicine services provider for Dignity Health CommonSpirit's St. Joseph's Hospitals, including: St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, St. Joseph's Westgate Medical Center, and freestanding emergency rooms: St. Joseph's Glendale Medical Center, and St. Joseph's Litchfield Park Medical Center. Collectively, the group's clinicians treat more than 112,000 emergency department visits annually.

This partnership further expands ECP's clinical network and strengthens its presence in the Southwest, continuing its model of collaborating with physician-owned groups to provide world-class clinical, operational, and financial support while maintaining local leadership and physician independence.

Dr. LaFrabya "Taka" Mitchem-Westbrook, Group President, will lead the organization and continue to oversee Empower Emergency Physicians' clinical, operational, and financial performance. Dr. Mitchem-Westbrook and her physician partners will continue to serve in key leadership capacities within Dignity.

"Empower has a long-standing reputation for clinical excellence and deep roots in the Phoenix community," said Bill Yarbrough, Chief Executive Officer of ECP. "We are thrilled to partner with Dr. Mitchem-Westbrook and her team to support their continued growth and commitment to high-quality patient care across their partner hospitals."

"By joining Emergency Care Partners, Empower adds enhanced resources and a robust infrastructure for our group that will allow us to further elevate our services," said Dr. Mitchem-Westbrook. "We look forward to leveraging ECP's expertise, while maintaining our physician-led culture and our dedication to the patients and hospitals we have served since 2003."

This partnership expands ECP's clinical footprint to more than 1.7 million patient encounters annually across ten states.