WEBSTER SPRINGS — A new partnership between Webster County Memorial Hospital (WCMH) and Davis Health System will benefit and strengthen healthcare services in our community.

At the Oct. 18 WCMH Board of Directors meeting, members signed a Letter of Intent for Management Services with Davis Health System.  The agreement, to begin in January 2017, provides for management, consulting and other professional services to be determined.

“Healthcare has become extremely complex, and we’re finding ourselves increasingly challenged to tackle the issues alone,” said interim CEO Dr. Robert Mace. “The professional expertise we gain through this relationship will better position Webster County Memorial Hospital for the future of healthcare.”

WCMH will maintain control of the assets of the organization and will remain under the control of its board of directors. “The agreement creates a network of resource sharing and referral for specialized services. It is not a merger, purchase or acquisition by either health system,” said Mace.

The two groups will work through the details and the timelines of the agreement over the next couple of months. According to Mace, a few priorities have been established including the hiring of a full-time CEO, strategies for maximizing utilization of inpatient and outpatient services, the development of a population health program, assistance with MACRA (payment reform) and updates in billing and coding practices.

Davis Health System is a non-profit, independent healthcare network which operates Davis Medical Center in Elkins and Broaddus Hospital, a critical access hospital, in Philippi. They also operate urgent care clinics in Buckhannon and Parsons. In 2014, they constructed a new outpatient center which offers a number of medical specialties. Last month, they announced a partnership with West Virginia University Medicine for a Heart and Vascular Center and enhanced services at their Cancer Care Center.

“It was important that we partner with someone who understands the value of the independent, community hospital. Davis Health, like us, is committed to remaining independent, but they’re also pursuing opportunity for collaboration with regional partners. They will bring value to our team and our patients through their expertise in community healthcare and critical access hospital operations,” said Mace.