Newman Regional Health’s Board of Trustees has approved a strategic affiliation with the University of Kansas Health System and LMH Health as part of its monthly meeting Wednesday.
What this means, according to Newman Regional Health Chief Executive Officer Cathy Pimple, is a “shared commitment” between the systems “to continue fulfilling each organization’s mission while honoring their individual roles within their communities.” What it’s not, she says, is a merger.
Executive Director of Quality and Safety Ester Knobloch says this is both a major opportunity and the result of fruitful partnerships.
Pimple says the agreement is “grounded in key principles, including Newman Regional Health maintaining independent ownership and governance,” and Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships Steven Bazan agrees. He says University of Kansas and LMH Health are willing to help Newman Regional Health with its vision for serving the area. He says this was the result of strategic planning and numerous conversations over the last 12-18 months.
Chief Financial Officer Holly French says the hospital is in its best financial shape in years, thanks largely to a growth focus as outlined in its strategic plan. The new partnership, she says, offers more growth opportunities.
Newman Regional Health already has a partnership with LMH Health through OrthoKansas, which offers orthopedic and sports medicine specialty care locally, and a separate partnership with University of Kansas through its Care Collaborative. The partnership officially begins Saturday.
7:30 pm Wednesday: Newman Regional Health begins strategic affiliation with University of Kansas Health System, LMH Health
Conversations over a year in the making have culminated in a strategic affiliation between Newman Regional Health and two Kansas hospital systems.
During its monthly Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, board members approved a partnership involving the University of Kansas Health System and LMH Health. The partnership officially takes effect Saturday.
Newman Regional Health already has a partnership with LMH Health through OrthoKansas, which offers orthopedic specialty care locally, and a separate partnership with University of Kansas through its Care Collaborative. The new alliance involving LMH and University of Kansas is not a merger, according to hospital officials. Rather, it is designed to be a “shared commitment” between the systems “to continue fulfilling each organization’s mission while honoring their individual roles within their communities,” according to a news release issued by Newman Regional Health.
Newman Regional Health CEO Cathy Pimple says the agreement is “grounded in key principles, including Newman Regional Health maintaining independent ownership and governance.” Pimple also says the affiliation lets Newman Regional Health stay focused on its charitable mission as it serves area patients.
NRH board members and administrators agree. Board Chair Nancy Wells says the partnership will “pave a new road for healthcare,” while Board Vice Chair Rebeca Herrera says this is the right time to move forward and “we enter this process from a position of strength. Fellow board member Don Hill says the arrangement “represents both a continuation of planning and progress made.” Chief Nursing Officer Heather Aylward says the new affiliation means the hospitals “bring complementary strengths that will enhance and support healthcare for the communities we serve,” while Chief Medical Officer Dr Alana Longwell says “this affiliation builds on the work NRH providers have already done to create greater access and improve quality of care.”
From University of Kansas Health System President and CEO Bob Page’s perspective, the arrangement ensures local care for residents. “We look forward to continued collaboration with NRH and LMH Health to create connections to support care needs from routine to the most complex,” he said.
LMH Health President and CEO Russ Johnson says the new agreement supports care delivery in a streamlined fashion — along with another benefit. “Most importantly, this affiliation supports independence, allowing healthcare decisions to be made closest to home, for the benefit of our patients, physicians, and communities we serve,” he said.
Listen to KVOE’s Morning Show newscasts Thursday for additional comments from Newman Regional Health administrators.
