Stroudwater’s Affiliations team, led by director Jeff Sommer, worked with Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County Hospital to secure a partner that would invest in its growth, clinical quality, and patient care, allowing Bob Wilson to continue the role it has held in its Ulysses, KS community since 1951. Full text of Centura Health’s press release follows. To learn more about Stroudwater’s Affiliations services, please visit our Affiliations and Partnerships service line.
BOB WILSON MEMORIAL GRANT COUNTY HOSPITAL AND CENTURA HEALTH FINALIZE PARTNERSHIP
New relationship keeps health care locally available to the Ulysses community, with plans for additional services in the future
ULYSSES, KAN. – Feb. 1, 2016 – Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County Hospital (Bob Wilson) and Centura Health, the region’s health care leader, announced the completion of definitive agreements to affiliate with one another effective today.
Bob Wilson, a 26-bed acute care hospital, becomes the 17th hospital in the Centura Health network. The agreement is not an acquisition by Centura Health nor is it a sale of the hospital by the County Commissioners. Rather, it is a long-term relationship in which Centura Health commits to investing in Bob Wilson’s growth and development, including capital for equipment and information technology, to benefit both clinical quality and patient care. Centura Health will operate the hospital, employ hospital staff, and appoint a board with strong local representation. Throughout the term of the partnership, Centura Health will make regular progress reports to the County Commissioners.
The agreement emphasizes both continuity and growth. As a not-for-profit hospital, Bob Wilson will continue delivering the high-value care the community has come to know and trust since it began operations in 1951. As part of the Centura Health network, the hospital will gain access to coordinated care initiatives and ongoing investments in telehealth and specialty services, as well as other expanded services to support community needs and enhance the future of local health care delivery. Bob Wilson will receive administrative, operational and other support from St. Catherine Hospital, a Centura Health hospital in nearby Garden City, Kan.
We are excited to build upon Bob Wilson’s strong legacy and collaborate to advance the value of health care for the community served by the hospital, said Gary Campbell, FACHE, president and CEO, Centura Health. We are pleased to welcome the employees, physicians and volunteers of Bob Wilson to our family and are humbled they selected us as their partner. We are aligned in our vision for health care and will work together to deliver optimal health value and provide sustainable health solutions.
Bob Wilson and its affiliated physician practices will integrate their systems with the Centura Health network methodically over the next 12 to 24 months. Bob Wilson has over 100 employees, an on-site Rural Health Clinic with multiple health care providers, along with numerous volunteers and several emergency medical services partners.
The Grant County Commissioners and the Hospital Board began exploring strategic affiliations for the hospital more than two years ago. With small and Rural and Community Hospitals facing increasing challenges, their decision to seek a partner was based on a desire for continued investments in the hospital and maintenance of core services available locally. A letter of intent was signed in the spring of 2015 and approved by the board of directors of both entities; it also was reviewed recently by state and federal regulatory agencies. Area community members provided input and posed questions to the Commissioners and Hospital Board in two public forums.
Centura Health emerged as the best prospective partner for Bob Wilson because of their shared vision and values, and because it offered the necessary resources for Bob Wilson to continue to operate in a rapidly changing health care landscape.
We really wanted a partner that would complement our legacy of care, and bring value to Grant County, said Marty Long, Grant County Commissioner. With Centura Health, we found an organization with a history in Kansas and the capabilities to lead us into the future. Bob Wilson Board Chair, David Higgs, reiterated that sentiment. By partnering with Centura Health, we will be able to expand health care services in Grant County. This allows us to look to the future with opportunities to grow that could not be possible if we tried to continue to be a stand-alone health care facility.
Art Frable, CEO of Bob Wilson, led the collaboration to form this new partnership, and played an active role in the selection of a healthcare partner. He has decided to pursue other opportunities and will step down as CEO; however, he will remain in a consulting role at Bob Wilson and work closely with the team at St. Catherine during the transition. Art’s career at Bob Wilson has been impactful and he will be missed. His deep knowledge and passion for health care is visible in the community and we thank him for the past six years of service and dedication.
We appreciate Art’s support and partnership, and look forward to our work together to welcome and support Bob Wilson employees, physicians, staff and volunteers, said Scott Taylor, CEO of St. Catherine Hospital. We joined Centura Health nearly two years ago and benefitted from the network scale, strength and expertise. We have expanded our IT and technology capabilities along with the services we provide, all to better meet the needs of our communities.
Along with St. Catherine Hospital, Centura Health provides shared resources and programs with four Affiliate Hospital’s in western Kansas: Goodland Regional Medical Center in Goodland, Morton County Hospital in Elkhart, Logan County Hospital in Oakley and Stanton County Hospital in Johnson City.
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About Centura Health
Centura Health connects individuals, families and neighborhoods across Colorado and western Kansas with more than 6,000 physicians and 21,000 of the best hearts and minds in health care. Through our 17 hospitals, two senior living communities, health neighborhoods, physician practices and clinics, home care and hospice services, and Flight For Life® Colorado, we are making the region’s best health care accessible and affordable in every community we serve. We believe you can inspire the people you care about to live healthier lives by encouraging them to do the little things that can make a big difference. We’re Centura Health, and we’re here for your health. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit the Centura Health website.
About Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County Hospital
Bob Wilson Memorial Grant Hospital is a 26-bed facility serving the community since 1951 with a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient services including: Case management, CT Scan, Diabetic Education, Dietary Consult, EEG/EKG, Emergency Care, Laboratory, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, Obstetrics (prenatal, postpartum, delivery), Primary and Specialty Clinic, Physical Therapy, Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, Surgery, swing beds and ultrasound. For more information, please visit the Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County website.