OSF HealthCare may add Kewanee Hospital as affiliate
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- Published on Tuesday, 06 November 2012 14:10
- Written by The Peorian
Peoria-based OSF HealthCare is soon to add another Illinois hospital to what is already one of the largest integrated health systems in Illinois.
Kewanee Hospital has signed a letter of intent to affiliate with OSF HealthCare, the two entities said in a news release.
The partnership with OSF HealthCare would give Kewanee and the surrounding community access to more high-quality specialty care, close to home, the release said. Kewanee Hospital has collaborated with OSF HealthCare for many years and the two organizations share similar missions of "improving the health and care of those we serve," it added.
"Kewanee Hospital's potential affiliation with OSF HealthCare is great news for the communities served by Kewanee Hospital," said Gary Pheiffer, chairman of the Kewanee Hospital board of trustees. "It will ensure local access to quality health care for many years to come. This potential partnership also will allow Kewanee Hospital to grow and offer a wider variety of specialty services while improving our ability to recruit new doctors, advance practice nurses, and other medical professionals."
OSF Healthcare System CEO Kevin Schoeplein said the affiliation makes sense because "OSF and Kewanee Hospital share a united mission and vision for the future: to ensure that the tradition of high quality health care is enhanced and expanded in Kewanee and the surrounding communities."
Kewanee Hospital has been evaluating its future for several years, the release said. With the onset of Accountable Care Organizations, greater technology demands and the need for close collaboration, the number of stand-alone organizations like Kewanee Hospital is dwindling.
Lynn Fulton, CEO of Kewanee Hospital, said the trustees and executive had a goal "to identify the path that would best carry the Hospital through the changing landscape and ensure long-term access to care for the community. After careful analysis and deliberation, we concluded that affiliation with a larger partner was the best mechanism to provide long-term viability, collaboration and enhancement of services. As a result, the Hospital looked at potential partnerships with many hospital and specialty groups, both regionally and nationally, with OSF HealthCare topping our list."
During the next few months, each organization will perform due diligence before deciding if the affiliation should proceed. That decision will likely come next year, the release said.
