Marlette Regional Hospital and McKenzie Health System Finalize Agreement with Deckerville Community Hospital

Dan Babcock                           Steve Barnett                     Angela McConnachie

 

Sanilac County, Mich. – The leadership teams at McKenzie Health System (MHS) and Marlette Regional Hospital (MRH) are thrilled to welcome Deckerville Community Hospital (DCH) as the newest affiliate of United Healthcare Partners (UHP). On September 10, 2018, after months of discussions, the decision was finalized.

The original UHP collaboration, which started in 2013, was aimed at providing patients with access to more services, medical staff and resources while maximizing efficiency by working together. This latest step will allow us to continue these goals to a broader community.

“Each organization and their patients benefit from shared resources,” said Dan Babcock, CEO of MRH. “Since the affiliation between MHS and MRH was finalized, there have been numerous examples of these benefits including shared staffing, equipment and materials; pooling of resources when needed; and attraction of specialists to the area. We are continually finding new opportunities to consider.”

“As we observed declining populations, decreasing reimbursement to hospitals and increasing requirements associated with healthcare reform, affiliation made sense because together we are stronger,” stated Steve Barnett, President/CEO of MHS. “Through collaboration, which now includes Deckerville Community Hospital, we have an opportunity to turn challenges into successes. Now we are able to continue to build on each other’s strengths, and that’s exciting!”

Each organization will retain its own licenses, names, services, and continue to retain the funds and assets they have accumulated in the past and will accumulate into the future.

The parent company, UHP, will have equal representation from all three organizations and will focus on making decisions in the best interest of the larger community.

The first board meeting that will include DCH will be held on October 8, 2018.

“Through our affiliation, our community receives improved access to high-quality medical services while we maintain local independence to provide outstanding care,” added Angela McConnachie, CEO/CNO at Deckerville. “That’s a win-win situation for everyone and we know we are taking the right steps for our community!”