In a statement titled Deaconess Commitment to Jennie Stuart Health the Hopkinsville hospital management lays out how the affiliation will be positive for the community and the providers.
The statement was released over the weekend by hospital officials and details the reasons an affiliation with Deaconess will benefit patients, providers, and the community.
The statement says reaching a letter of intent with Deaconess allows the Jennie Stuart Board and leadership team to explore an affiliation that best supports caregivers, patients, and community. Officials add while they work toward a long-term vision, Jennie Stuart Health will continue to operate as it does today without any change in day to day responsibilities or the ways patients recieve care. They add long term, Jennie Stuart Health will have greater resources to enhance both quality and access to patient care. And through an affiliation with Deaconess, Jennie Stuart could invest in the tools and technologies (including a best-in-class EHR system) needed to empower and attract the best and brightest in healthcare, better positioning the Jennie Stuart teams to deliver exceptional care.
The statement says Deaconess will be a supportive partner dedicated to empowering JSH staff and delivering for their patients. Officials note that Deaconess is the right partner for Jennie Stuart, with the resources and complementary expertise needed to deliver for patients, benefit caregivers and better serve the surrounding communities. They identify key commitments through an affiliation between Jennie Stuart Health and Deaconess .
• All Jennie Stuart staff and physicians in good standing will be retained upon completion of the affiliation.
• Deaconess will make a $95 million financial commitment to our community including $90 million in capital to JSH and a $5 million donation to the JSH Foundation.
• Deaconess will fully support the cost of JSH’s IT enhancements including integration to the Epic electronic health record platform. The overall cost of a best-in-class EHR platform such as EPIC ranges from $40 to $60 million for an organization of JSH’s size.
• Deaconess will maintain and grow JSH’s core service lines with a focus of keeping care close to home at JSH.
Hospital officials also say the affiliation will preserve what make Jennie Stuart Health great. They note as a like-minded non-profit healthcare system, Deaconess recognizes Jennie Stuart Health’s unique culture and the critical role the hospital has played in Southwestern Kentucky and north central Tennessee for more than a century.
Some Key Commitments include:
• A locally managed Board of Trustees, including members of the communities served by JSH.
• Shared services and a commitment to maintaining JSMC as an essential acute care hospital.
• Ongoing financial support for the Jennie Stuart Health Foundation, while ensuring continued local decision-making for philanthropic contributions
The statement concludes by noting Jennie Stuart Health is committed to keeping their people-employees, patients and community-at the heart of every decision they make.
