Published: August 20, 2008 09:23 am         

Stanly Regional’s alliance enhances healthcare

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 — In a little more than a year, the strategic alliance between Stanly Regional Medical Center and Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) has achieved its goal of increased healthcare services to the area.

Stanly Regional West is the most visible example of the benefits of the alliance. The 21,000-square-foot building is located in Locust, convenient to the growing residential areas in the western part of the county. Most of the building is leased.

West Stanly Imaging is providing state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging services to patients from all over the region while two well-established medical practices in Stanly County have opened in Stanly Regional West. Locust Medical Services, a family medicine practice that has served the community since 1992, has relocated from Central Avenue in Locust. Cabarrus Family Medicine, which is owned by CHS and has had offices in Stanly County for several years, is also seeing patients in the new facility. Cabarrus Family Medicine’s physicians will have privileges at Stanly Regional.

The Stanly Regional West campus has 21 acres and was designed to accommodate expansion. Representatives from Stanly Regional and CHS formed a development team that meets regularly to discuss opportunities for additional services.

CHS and Stanly Regional are also seeking state approval for a new rehabilitation hospital that will serve patients from Stanly, Rowan and Cabarrus counties. This is a unique opportunity for the two organizations to combine resources that will enable patients to continue receiving inpatient rehab, which has been drastically affected by changing federal rules in recent years.

As I wrote in May 2007, we have expectations from this alliance that will benefit all of Stanly County:

n Services - More services to our patients;

n Physicians - More physicians and physician offices locating in the county;

n Jobs - More jobs being created in Stanly County;

n Strengthened economy - Retaining money that has been leaving Stanly County and generating more money to strengthen the Stanly economy; and

n Improved Albemarle campus - Having more funds to invest in improving/expanding services on the Albemarle campus.

Many Stanly County residents do not know about other services we share with CHS and how our relationship of more than 13 years has enabled Stanly Regional to offer some high-quality services not commonly found in smaller communities.

For example, the Roy M. Hinson Cancer Center has oncologists from CHS. Our Behavioral Health physicians are from CHS. Heart Group of the Carolinas provides our cardiologists.

Stanly Regional also has a contract with CHS to supply hospitalists for the medical center. The hospitalists focus on inpatients, enabling our physicians to spend more time treating patients in their offices.

Stanly Regional continues to participate in the education of nurses, technologists and other health-related professionals. The new location in Locust supports that commitment as Stanly Regional West is located next to the Crutchfield Center of Stanly Community College where students will have a convenient place for their clinical training in radiology.

Stanly Regional board members devote countless hours to understanding the healthcare environment. It is complex, heavily-regulated, rapidly-changing and highly competitive. As board members, we have the responsibility of ensuring the sustainability of Stanly Regional as the community’s source of high-quality, cost-effective services.

The board is committed to maintaining Stanly Regional’s independent status as a community-controlled organization. The board is not considering a merger with CHS, nor is Stanly Regional for sale.

We also recognize our role as a major player in the local economy. Stanly Health Services, which is the parent corporation of Stanly Regional, Stanly Regional Medical Center Foundation, Home Care of the Carolinas, Alliance Medical, Stanly Medical Services and Stanly Manor, employs over 1,000 people, generating an annual payroll of over $45 million. Most of that payroll is spent in Stanly County, supporting local businesses and contributing to our tax base. Stanly Regional is a significant part of the county’s economic development program. Without a quality medical center, a community has little chance of being successful in recruiting and retaining businesses.

The Charlotte region has become a dynamic market. NorthEast Medical Center and CHS merged last year. Novant merged with Rowan Regional Medical Center and is building a hospital in Mint Hill and proposing to build another in southern Rowan County. Smaller hospitals have developed some form of affiliation with either CHS or Novant. Our task was to deliberate our options openly and carefully.

Given this changing landscape, Stanly Regional must be vigilant, “on top of our game,” as they say in sports. Our priority is to identify and implement the strategy to continue to meet these goals:

• Developing a culture of quality, safety and service;

• Provide superior services;

• Be a trusted community leader;

• Have a strong financial base; and

• Be a great place to work.

Achieving these goals in an environment with well-funded players and heavy pressure on payments is a challenge that led us to select CHS as a strategic partner. We have enjoyed mutually-beneficial relationships since 1995 while continuing to be independent and maintaining local control of Stanly Regional.

So far, we are delighted with the results of our partnership. The board is committed to an ongoing review of roles while we are in a position of financial strength that gives us the flexibility to make the decisions that are in the best interest of the community.

John Lowder is chairman of the board of directors of Stanly Regional Medical Center.