Indiana Regional Medical Center eyes affiliation with hospitals in Punxsutawney, Clarion
By Jeff Himler, The Blairsville Dispatch, Pa. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
According to a news release issued Monday by the three hospitals, the boards of directors of
Pending completion of a regulatory review process, the hospitals are looking to launch the new entity -- dubbed the Pennsylvania Mountain Care Network -- in early 2015.
The hospitals stressed that the proposed affiliation is not considered a merger and will not include a combination of assets. However, management of the affiliated assets will be vested in a board made up of the directors from the three hospitals.
According to hospital officials, the three-way collaboration is seen as a way to help strengthen each of the medical organizations and maintain their independent operations in the face of a changing medical industry.
"Working together benefits the communities we serve and keeps our greatest county-wide assets viable for the foreseeable future," said
In a joint statement, respective hospital CEOs Wolfe,
The CEOs referred to the fact that the three hospitals already cooperate as founding members of the
Launched in 1996 and headquartered in
According to the organization's website, PMHA has provided its member hospitals opportunities to benefit from lower pricing on goods and services contracts while also creating self-insured risk pools for medical malpractice, health and dental coverages that have helped control the costs of insurance premiums for the member institutions.
With the help of several million dollars in federal grants, PMHA also has pursued a technology initiative, working to develop a high-speed private connection among its participating hospitals.
"The feather in the cap of PMHA has been the insurance product," noted
The proposed Pennsylvania Mountain Care Network would encompass more than 2,200 employees, 200 physicians, an extensive primary care network, urgent care centers and a combined net patient revenue of more than
Richards indicated the three hospitals are looking to join forces because of both their underlying similarities and the individual resources each brings to the table.
"We're like-sized and like-minded rural, independent health care providers," he said. "We're very similar, and there's strength in numbers."
According to the joint release, the guiding principles for the three-hospital collaboration include:
--Controlling costs;
--Remaining independent with continued local governance and boards;
--Purchasing benefits;
--Improved access;
--An expanded network of specialty physicians;
--Improved patient outcomes through shared best practices.
Richards noted improved patient access to specialty care is one area where the participating hospitals already have made strides by combining resources.
For the past few years, he explained, an agreement has been in place to transport cancer patients by van from
"It's something we currently have that they don't," Richards said, noting the collaborative service makes more sense than the
Richards acknowledged the challenge that smaller, rural hospitals can face in attracting some specialty physicians. With the proposed Pennsylvania Mountain Care Network in place, he said, "It's got to go a long way toward recruitment for all three of us."
Richards noted the process of forming the new three-hospital network is in a preliminary stage and will require state approval.
"Once we get the state's blessing, we'll sit down and iron out the details among the three of us," he said.
The proposed network is "exciting because there are new ways of looking at how we can remain independent," Richards said.
For IRMC, he added, "It shouldn't be a noticeable impact to the staff or especially the public. Our name's not going to change, our service is not going to change.
"Everyone is going to retain their own brand and name."
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