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December 22, 2009
DCHS – MGHS Sign Letter of Intent for Primary Care Practice Collaboration
Dickinson County Healthcare System and Marquette General Health System have taken the next step as a result of the affiliation agreement that was signed by the two healthcare systems in December of last year. The letter of intent would create a formal primary care practice collaboration that will be named Dickinson County Family Medicine.
The letter of intent outlines a collaboration that will join the following primary care practices into one large collaborative entity: DCH System's employed family physicians Dr. Donald Jacobs and Dr. Charlene Greene, along with Linda Opsahl, DNP and Lesley Dishaw, PA-C, and Marquette Medical Clinic - Kingsford physicians Dr. John Groeneveld, Dr. Kristi Olson, Dr. Terry Ryan and Dr. Katie Picucci, along with Mary Kay Elwood, NP. DCH System's Dr. Marjorie Funtanilla, Internal Medicine/Nephrology, along with Judi Bjork, DNP, and Marquette General Medical Group hematologist/oncologist Dr. Gustavo Morel, along with Michelle Morel, PA, who are located at North Country Medical, will be included in the collaboration as internal medicine sub-specialists.
The letter of intent outlines a collaboration of both healthcare systems to improve access to primary care for residents in the greater Dickinson County area. In the short term, physicians will remain located where they currently practice and patients will notice no difference. In the long term, a building is envisioned to centrally locate all primary care physicians on Dickinson Memorial Hospital’s campus.
This primary care collaboration has been discussed for the past year. At the time of the affiliation discussions in 2008, both hospitals agreed that consolidation of these physician practices would be a primary goal. Both hospitals evaluated the potential for collaboration and decided that such a project would benefit both patients and the two healthcare systems.
A key advantage of the collaboration will be an enhanced ability to recruit physicians. Fewer medical students are opting for family medicine as their specialty, and those who do select family medicine are much more likely to join a large, established practice rather than opting for independence as a sole practitioner.
The availability of more primary care physicians will also decrease the need for patients to incur the expense and inconvenience of travel outside the area for their medical care. Necessary medical services will be kept closer to home, where, all else being equal, people recover better closer to their support network of family and friends.
“As the healthcare industry continues to face multiple challenges and the outcome of healthcare reform remains undecided, it becomes the responsibility of each hospital and healthcare system to find creative ways to meet these challenges so they can continue to take care of their patients,” commented John Schon, DCHS Administrator / CEO. “MGH has been an untapped regional resource for years. The affiliation agreement that we signed last year has served as a springboard to the planned formation of Dickinson County Family Medicine. In today’s economic environment, it makes sense to collaborate with other regional healthcare systems in the provision of healthcare to the community at large. Through collaboration, both DCHS and MGHS can continue to provide a strong economic base to our communities, and our patients will certainly benefit through the continuation of much needed healthcare services.”
MGHS President and CEO A. Gary Muller, FACHE, agreed.
“Rapid changes in the healthcare environment make partnerships between organizations with aligned missions and values imperative,” said Muller. “Our affiliation with DCHS allows us to improve the UP economy while providing quality healthcare close to home for our patients.”
MGHS and DCHS have worked collaboratively since 2000 on the provision of quality healthcare services including radiation therapy for cancer patients, telehealth, and the UP Regional Blood Center. The formation of Dickinson County Family Medicine will further strengthen the teams of both institutions by sharing resources and joining efforts to enhance healthcare in the greater Dickinson County area.
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