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Nash Health Care announces affiliation with UNC Health Care
Management agreement keeps hospital ownership local, benefits patients
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.—(Dec.16, 2013)—Nash Health Care Systems today announced that it will affiliate with UNC Health Care. This management services agreement allows Nash Health Care to acquire managerial and operational resources from UNC Health Care. This agreement does not involve any sale or exchange of assets. Nash Health Care Board of Commissioners members say the agreement can help achieve cost savings and increased hospital-based clinical services for area patients. The agreement will go into effect on April 1, 2014.
Today’s agreement follows many months of careful consideration by the Nash Health Care Board of Commissioners on how to strengthen its position as a regional medical center provider while responding to the turbulent health care environment. In June 2013, the Board issued a Request for Proposal to five pre-selected regional tertiary hospitals for evaluation of an expanded affiliation relationship.
“After review of the proposals, it was clear that UNC Health Care is the right partner to help strengthen and guide our organization into the future,” said Vincent C. Andracchio II, Chairman of the Nash Health Care Systems Board of Commissioners. “Nash Health Care has enjoyed growth and success throughout its history. However, we know that it will be virtually impossible for community hospitals to operate independently in the ever changing health care environment. We are joining a strong and growing hospital system with experience in working in communities across our state. UNC Health Care has an excellent track record of improving the quality of the local health care delivery system. In addition, keeping local hospital leadership, governance and traditions intact is vitally important.”
The expanded affiliation agreement will allow Nash Health Care to provide a broader scope of resources to benefit patients in its four county service areas. Some of the primary benefits include:
- Expansion of locally-available patient care services
- Measured improvements in patient care quality outcome indicators
- Enhancements to patient satisfaction and patient experience
- Lowering the cost of operations
- Improving the revenue and collections cycle to strengthen financial performance
- Recruitment of additional highly-trained and skilled physicians
- Access to cutting-edge research and treatments at UNC Health Care
“Since 1971, Nash Health Care has successfully pursued its mission to provide superior quality health care services and to help improve the health of the community in a caring, efficient and financially sound manner,” said Larry Chewning, Nash Health Care CEO. “By affiliating with UNC Health Care, we become clinically and financially stronger, and better prepared to meet the challenges of the future. UNC Health Care has a strong history of working in communities like ours, and I anticipate that our relationship will lead to even higher quality care, improved access and enhanced patient experiences.”
The Nash Health Care Systems Board of Commissioners will maintain ownership of Nash Health Care, and CEO Larry Chewning will continue to report to the Nash Health Care Board, as well as to UNC Health Care.
“We are pleased to welcome Nash Health Care into our system,” said David Strong, chief operating officer of system affiliations for UNC Health Care. “This agreement combines the successful health care delivery at Nash Health Care with the managerial experience and capabilities of our system. Nash Health Care will help advance our system’s mission of providing excellent care, training the next generation of North Carolina’s physicians, and conducting groundbreaking research.”
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ABOUT NASH HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS
Nash Health Care is a non-profit hospital authority comprised of five licensed hospitals totaling 403 beds: Nash General Hospital, Nash Day Hospital, the Bryant T. Aldridge Rehabilitation Center, Community Hospital and Coastal Plain Hospital.
ABOUT UNC HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
The UNC Health Care System is a not-for-profit integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. It exists to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina and to provide state-of-the-art patient care. UNC Health Care is comprised of UNC Hospitals, ranked consistently among the best medical centers in the country; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; community practices; home health and hospice services in seven central North Carolina counties; Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, NC; Chatham Hospital in Siler City, NC; High Point Regional Medical Center in High Point, NC; Caldwell Memorial Hospital in Lenoir, NC; and Rex Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County.