In September, the West Shore Medical Center Board of Trustees entered into a letter of intent with Munson Healthcare to consider a closer affiliation.
An exploratory committee appointed by the West Shore Board of Trustees has defined the principles that will guide discussions regarding the strengthening of the Manistee hospital’s relationship with the Munson Healthcare system.
“Our exploratory committee, working with West Shore and Munson Healthcare leaders and board members, has created a list of guiding principles to use throughout this process,” said West Shore Medical Center Board Chair John Hoch. “These principles outline for our team the values that will guide the development of any agreement between our organizations, ensuring that all terms fit with the ideals we consider most important.”
The guiding principles cover a range of administrative and clinical areas and include commitments to:
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Preserving local board leadership and autonomy
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Expanding West Shore Medical Center’s access to capital while preserving the assets of West Shore Medical Center for the benefit of the Manistee community
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Enhancing shared services, technology, and economies of scale
On the clinical side, leaders have outlined commitments to:
- Maintaining and growing inpatient and outpatient health care services in Manistee
- Improving the patient experience while keeping care close to home
- Expanding participation in system, regional, state, and national quality initiatives
“One of our top concerns also is that any agreement represents a positive step for our employees and medical staff, as well as for the patients we all serve,” Hoch said. “The Board of Trustees strongly believes that a closer relationship with the Munson Healthcare system could provide West Shore Medical Center access to the resources needed to ensure our hospital can continue to offer the right mix of close-to-home health care services for many years to come.”
A deadline for completion of the exploration has not been set, but the process is expected to take many months.