FAQ Page:
What does this mean for both hospitals?
Formal affiliation between Selby General Hospital and the Memorial Health System will build on collaborations that already exist between Marietta Memorial and Selby General Hospitals. The goal will be to provide our community with enhanced clinical care and expanded services by facilitating more consistent, coordinated and reliable delivery of care and services.
What is the current relationship between the two hospitals?
For many years Marietta Memorial and Selby General have worked together to provide health education to our community, to share resources and on occasion to recruit physicians to our community. In addition, several physicians maintain privileges at both hospitals.
How will affiliation lead to better healthcare for patients?
As our system becomes more integrated, we strengthen our ability to attract the highest quality physicians to our area, improve access to broadened clinical programs and strengthen primary care networks. Affiliating will also enable the hospitals and system to enhance the continuity of care we provide patients. Together we can develop platforms that enable us to share patient data that limits time consuming paperwork, securely transfers authorized records, simplifies billings and supports good clinical outcomes.
What kinds of differences will patients notice under the proposed affiliation?
Patients at either hospital shouldn't notice much of a difference in their care - they can expect to receive the same high-quality care from physicians they know and trust. The good news is patients may see an increase in the services we provide as we have the opportunity to expand clinical services locally.
What about physicians, can I see my physician I see now?
The employment of physicians will not change because of the affiliation, however, physicians will now have the opportunity to affiliate with both hospitals.
The affiliation should not be disruptive of pre-existing clinical relationships that are established and have been working well. Rather, the affiliation aims to enhance the continuity of care between hospitals and physicians and the health services a patient may need.
Is this a merger?
It is important to remember that this is an affiliation and NOT a merger. A merger would imply that our two hospitals are becoming one. That is not the case.
Will Selby General Hospital still keep its name and services?
Selby General Hospital will keep its name. It will also retain its Critical Access Designation. Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status is awarded to select small, rural hospitals and allows them to receive cost-based reimbursement for services provided to Medicare patients. To obtain this status, a survey is conducted by the Ohio Department of Health on behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid. To become a CAH, hospitals must provide 24-hour emergency services, inpatient care, laboratory and radiology services, must have no more than 15 acute-care beds or 25 total beds and keep patients an average of 96 hours or less.
Will the structure of the hospitals board of trustees change?
Under our new agreement, there will be a parent corporation with the two hospitals being a subsidiary of that parent. Charlotte Hatfield, president of Washington State Community College, will serve as Chair for the Memorial Health System board. Larry Unroe will serve as the president and ceo of the Memorial Health System. For Marietta Memorial, Scott Cantley will be the chief operating officer and Bob Peterson will become the chief operating officer for Selby General Hospital. There will be some additional administrative changes, all of which will be shared with you at upcoming staff meetings.
The Memorial Health System board will retain over-arching authority of system decisions and will be made up of community members, physicians and senior leaders of both organizations.
Will employees lose their jobs?
There continues to be a commitment to no job loss due to the affiliation. The vast majority of staff will continue to perform their present duties while a small number may transfer to other positions.
What organizations belong to the Memorial Health System?
Memorial Health System Affiliates include:
Marietta Memorial Hospital
Selby General Hospital
Harmar Place
Glenwood Retirement Community
The Pines Assisted Living
Marietta Health Care Physicians, Inc. (MHCPI)
Marietta Occupational Health Partners
What about donations to the hospitals?
Under the new agreement, endowments and pledges will be directed through the Marietta Memorial Health Foundation. Donors will have the ability to direct donations to specific services, hospitals and/or activities. Any fundraising throughout the system will be coordinated through the Foundation.
