The plan for Hays Medical Center and Centura Health to co-own St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgical Center is now official, a spokesman for HaysMed announced Thursday. With the signing of the joint venture, it will now be known at St. Rose Health Center.
The leaders of Hays Medical Center began noticing more patients from the Great Bend area were seeking health services at their facility.
“With so many patients coming to HaysMed from central Kansas, we were looking for ways to place the specialists and services closer to the people who need them,” said John H. Jeter, M.D., HaysMed president and chief executive officer. “At the same time, Centura Health was reviewing options to expand the services that could be provided locally to its patients and the community.
Dr. Jeter and Scott Taylor, CEO of St. Rose and St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, agreed the joint venture is the natural progression of two forward-thinking facilities combining forces.
“Our joint venture will expand care options for central Kansans,” Taylor said.
“HaysMed has been fortunate to recruit a large number of specialists in cardiology, orthopedics, oncology and urology,” Dr. Jeter said. “We also have numerous specialty services including wound healing, hyperbarics and a higher level of nursing. Any time facilities can join together to offer a larger array of services locally, and do it cost effectively, it is good for everyone.”
HaysMed has historically provided services beyond its home base of Ellis County.
“We have a Critical Access Hospital system with 24 facilities and we send physicians to 30 hospitals to provide specialty clinics,” Jeter said. “In addition, we formed a relationship with Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned.”
The joint venture provides an even stronger alliance for St. Rose’s primary-care providers, who now have immediate access to more specialists, noted Leanne Irsik, St. Rose administrator.
“HaysMed has specialists in Great Bend, and many patients in this area already are seeing these physicians,” Irsik said. “Patients are reporting a high level of satisfaction with them, as well as when they need a higher level of care at HaysMed.
“This great relationship means our providers are supported and our patients are happy with the quality of care,” she continued. “It is a sound alliance that makes it easier to recruit more doctors and allows patients to feel secure.”
The joint venture extends the work Centura Health is doing in western and central Kansas, Taylor said. “We now have four affiliate hospitals, St. Catherine Hospital and the partnership in Great Bend,” he said. “We remain committed to serving Barton County and the many rural communities across central and southwest Kansas.”
The changes at St. Rose are a reflection of heath-care services nationwide – more outpatient services in local communities with inpatient services at hospitals such as Centura Health’s facilities and HaysMed where hospitalists practice their specialty, Irsik said.
“Our focus at St. Rose is the outpatient-care and clinic setting,” she said. “Goals are helping people stay healthy, and teaching those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and heart disease to manage their diseases so they can enjoy life instead of repeatedly going to an emergency room.
“Our solid alliances, wonderful providers and computer system are aligned for this new venture,” Irsik continued. “Taking this journey with HaysMed is a great benefit because we all believe in excellence. Centura Health and HaysMed have received many awards and accolades over the years. The people we care for deserve this same level of excellence.”
Taylor noted the new relationship assures that St. Rose is well positioned to provide a wide range of preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic care to central Kansans.
“We are very excited about working together to develop a state-of-the-art center that patients can trust and be proud of,” Taylor said. “Collaboration is the key to success in today’s health-care environment and the partners in this venture are proven leaders in non-profit health care in Kansas.”