Press Release:
Selby General Hospital Affiliates with Memorial Health System
(Marietta, OH May 14, 2008) Marietta Memorial Hospital and Selby General Hospital announced today a formal affiliation that adds Selby General to the Memorial Health System, and provides the community with two not-for-profit, locally-owned hospitals.
Today marks a celebration for our community, says Larry Unroe, president & ceo of Memorial Health System. The goal of an affiliation is to become stronger by working more closely together. The affiliation combines Selby General Hospital with the resources of a strong healthcare system, preserving and growing access to healthcare for our community into the foreseeable future.
This affiliation will provide patients with access to an enhanced array of quality health care services and is a significant step in the development of future healthcare services within our community. Some of those benefits include:
Maintain under local management a not-for-profit full service Selby General Hospital, while affiliating with a strong health system, thereby providing patients with the highest quality medical care and outstanding clinical programs;
Create a regional health system that can share resources and realize cost savings in key areas such as purchasing and technologies;
Improve access to broadened clinical programs and a strengthened primary care network;
Provide 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, simplify billings and support clinical outcomes;
Create operating efficiencies by eliminating the duplication of expensive technology;
Strengthen the ability to attract the highest quality physicians to our area.
The affiliation is one that makes good sense as both hospitals share common values and missions. Both have a presence in the community in terms of health care services, jobs and advocacy of health education and prevention.
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 Tom Tucker, former chairman of the board for Selby General Hospital. This affiliation allows us to make the best use of our resources to expand our clinical and organizational strength, while retaining each organizations independence.
Charlotte Hatfield, newly appointed Memorial Health System board chair added, Beyond direct patient care, there are also many opportunities under this affiliation to collaborate on important medical and educational projects. 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.
Tucker agreed. The operation of a hospital is extremely complex, involving adherence to many changing rules, regulations and standards. A larger system, rather than a small, independent hospital is better able to have the expertise to manage these complex issues successfully. A hospital system has a better opportunity to protect the economic strength and viability of the hospital and its medical staff through lower costs for supplies and securing capital to continue to update equipment.
Unroe noted as part of the new arrangement, no job loss will occur. The vast majority of the staff will continue to perform their present duties while a small number may transfer to other positions. The affiliation will also provide staff with greater opportunities for personal and professional growth.
We will retain the Selby name and its critical access designation. Community input will continue through representation on a system board, he said, 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.
The affiliation between Marietta Memorial and Selby General Hospital was conceived in discussions between the two boards when exploring the sharing of an information technology platform to share patient information last year.
The more we talked about our visions for the future of health care in this region, the more we realized that we could make more happen by working as a team, Hatfield said.
