Quincy Reporter

Blessing Health System issued the following announcement on June 17.

The McDonough District Hospital (MDH) Board of Directors has voted unanimously to sign an agreement to affiliate with Blessing Health System (BHS) in Quincy. The affiliation does not change ownership or management of MDH, but does provide MDH access to BHS resources not previously available.

“The Board of Directors, Medical Staff and Senior Management of McDonough District Hospital are all pleased and honored to have the opportunity to partner with the Blessing Health System to expand clinical services in McDonough County. To clarify, this does not mean MDH is handing ownership over to Blessing Health System,” said Brian E. Dietz, FACHE, president and chief executive officer, MDH.

MDH and BHS have worked together informally for years, including over the past year when cardiology and pulmonology clinics in Macomb staffed by BHS specialists were implemented to improve the health of the communities served.

“The response from the Blessing Health System to our request to grow and expand Cardiac and Pulmonary Services for the residents of McDonough County and beyond has been extraordinary. The depth and quality of the clinical services offered by the Blessing Health System is of the highest quality and the geographic proximity of Quincy to Macomb is a tremendous convenience for the McDonough County community,” Dietz concluded.

BHS has also served the region through Macomb Medical Equipment and Supplies, owned by Denman Services, Inc., a division of the health system, for many years.

The affiliation agreement states the collaboration between the two providers shows a commitment to regional, locally-owned and operated healthcare systems by working together to provide an exceptional patient experience, quality performance and costs that are reasonable to the communities served through shared goals.

The agreement states that both parties desire to collaborate more formally and intentionally to combine their efforts and expenditures to achieve savings that contribute to lower healthcare costs, explore enhancement of clinical programs and services that will improve access to and quality of healthcare provided to their patients, all while continuing to operate independently.

“We, too, are honored that McDonough District Hospital chose Blessing Health System as a partner in its work to meet and exceed patient expectations in this new era of healthcare delivery,” said Maureen Kahn, RN, MHA, MSN, president/chief executive officer, Blessing Health System and Blessing Hospital. “We know the importance of MDH to the communities it serves. We want to help it grow by sharing what we have learned and continue to learn every day. Through local affiliations like this one, the healthcare system of the entire Tri-State area is strengthened.”

Original source can be found here.