Local hospitals join forces

Selby affiliates with Memorial Health System

By Sam Shawver, sshawver@mariettatimes.com
It’s official.

After nine months of discussions, Selby General Hospital is now an affiliate with the Memorial Health System.

The new relationship between Selby and Marietta Memorial hospitals was announced during a press conference this morning at the Levee House Cafe in Marietta.

“Today marks a celebration for our community,” said Larry Unroe, president and CEO of Memorial Health System, in a prepared release. “The goal of an affiliation is to become stronger by working more closely together, and this combines Selby General Hospital with the resources of a strong health care system.”

The two Marietta institutions have been in formal talks about a possible affiliation since August, when Tom Tucker, then-chairman of Selby’s board of directors, expressed some concern about the institution’s ability to continue financially without developing the relationship with Memorial.

“Our boards mutually agreed that this was a good decision for our community, and I am proud to have been a part of that process,” Tucker said. “And I want to thank our staff for continuing to provide excellent patient care through the uncertainty of the last few months while they were unsure what their future might hold. We’re excited to join this excellent organization. Marietta Memorial Hospital was recently designated one of Ohio’s best employers.

“Although our organizations are different, we also have a great deal in common, including setting the bar high for delivering exceptional health care to our patients,” said Tucker, now vice chairman of the 20-member Memorial Health System board, in the release. “This affiliation allows us to make the best use of our resources to expand our clinical and organizational strength, while retaining each organization’s independence.”

The health system board consists of eight members from Selby and 12 from Memorial Hospital.

Bob Peterson, former CEO at Selby General, is now senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Memorial Health System.

“It has been a great feeling, seeing both hospital boards working together, talking about ways we can better serve the community,” he said.

Tiffany Himmelreich with the Ohio Hospital Association, representing approximately 170 institutions across the state, including Selby and Memorial, said affiliations and sharing of resources between hospitals within the same community are becoming more common in recent years.

“In each case the reason for affiliation is a little different, and this is not something that two hospitals decide on the spur of the moment,” she said. “There is a natural tendency for members of a community to be apprehensive about two independent hospitals coming together, but a lot of background work has to take place before an actual affiliation agreement can be reached.

“The obvious advantage for hospitals is that they can share strengths, but the community also benefits with increased health care choices,” Himmelreich added.

Unroe said the action will result in no loss of jobs, and Selby will continue to operate as a full-service, not-for-profit facility under local management.

“Selby will retain its critical access designation. Community input will continue through representation on a system board,” he said in the release. “There will be a parent corporation with the two hospitals being a subsidiary of that parent.

“By cooperating and combining our resources, our hospitals will realize economies of scale that will aid in avoiding costly duplication of services,” Unroe said.

Other benefits include:

¯ Improved access to more clinical programs and a stronger primary care network.

¯ Sharing of patient data via information systems to improve access to care for patients and efficiency for physicians by limiting paperwork, securely transferring records when authorized and simplifying billings.

¯ Creation of operating efficiencies by eliminating the duplication of expensive technology.

¯ Strengthening attraction of the highest quality physicians to this area.

“Beyond direct patient care, there are also many opportunities under this affiliation to collaborate on important medical and educational projects,” said Charlotte Hatfield, newly appointed chairwoman of the Memorial Health System board.

“We look forward to working closely with our colleagues at Selby General Hospital on these and other initiatives that will improve the health of our community,” she said.