UK HealthCare Joins Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 5, 2013) — UK HealthCare at the University of Kentucky and St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington, W.Va. are now members of the Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition. The two organizations join original members Highlands Regional Medical Center (Prestonsburg, Ky.), Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital (Ashland, Ky.) and St. Claire Regional Medical Center (Morehead, Ky.) in the coalition.

The mission of the Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition, as written in the organization’s mission statement, is to “develop a clinically integrated network of health care providers to enhance the health status of our communities in an accountable and responsible manner.” In the coalition, each facility maintains its autonomy while working together on select projects that provide collective efficiencies for the hospitals (such as vendor contracts), improve patient access (through coordinated health events to provide greater patient access while eliminating duplication of efforts) and prepare for the reforms of the Affordable Care Act in addition to other integration.

“UK HealthCare and St. Mary’s will make excellent additions to the coalition’s efforts to develop a clinically integrated network of providers to enhance the health status of our communities,” said Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition’s executive director Jim Fuzy.

“St. Mary’s Medical Center is very pleased to become a partner with the Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition,” said St. Mary’s Medical Center president and CEO Michael Sellards. “As we share a similar mission to enhance the health status of our communities, the coalition will provide opportunities for a more seamless delivery of services to our patients.”

“As Kentucky’s largest academic medical center focused on providing advanced subspecialty patient care, we at UK HealthCare are committed to improving the health of the people of eastern Kentucky and through our collaboration with other members of the Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition, we will be able to impact and improve the access and quality of care for Kentuckians,” said Dr. Michael Karpf, UK executive vice president for Health Affairs.

Highlands Regional Medical Center, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, St. Claire Regional Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and UK HealthCare have a combined 1,783 patient care beds, more than 14,400 employees and 1,780 physicians.