Hope to tackle hearts issues, cancers, diabetes
Mon Health System entered into a clinical affiliation with Charleston Area Medical Center in an effort to tackle West Virginia’s high rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and the ongoing opioid epidemic.
The two independent health systems will share clinical best practices, participate in clinical initiatives as members of a Clinical Integrated Network that focuses on shared Medicaid populations and use efficiencies of the same electronic medical record program — Cerner — as well as conduct joint educational programs.
“Our goal is to see every patient in West Virginia,” said David Goldberg, president and CEO of Mon Health.
The affiliation of U.S. News & World Report’s top hospital in the state — CAMC — with Mon Health, the state’s third-rated hospital, is a win-win for the state, Goldberg said.
“We will be able to collaborate in programs,” Goldberg said.
“We share community values and a commitment to improving the health of our population that will make a real difference.”
The collaboration will allow both health systems to better educate the public on issues related to chronic disease, address health care disparities and improve health care outcomes.
“CAMC’s focus is always on how to best meet the needs of patients and communities,” David Ramsey, CAMC president and CEO, said in a statement. “CAMC and Mon Health are community-based, nonprofit institutions with similar missions. This clinical affiliation agreement will result in increased collaboration to locally address the high rates of debilitating disease and the shortage of specialty services we each face.”
Separately, Mon Health announced last week it received approval from the state for the construction of a 10-bed, $20 million small format hospital in Fairmont’s Pleasant Valley.
When the facility is up and running in 2021, it will include inpatient and outpatient medical beds, diagnostic imaging and lab services and a full-service emergency department. The hospital will not have an operating room, a Cath lab or offices.
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