Thursday, October 3, 2013
Crockett And Other LifePoint Hospitals Combine To Form Southern Tennessee Regional Health Systems
From LifePoint Hospitals
Southern Tennessee Medical Center in Winchester, Emerald Hodgson Hospital in Sewanee, Hillside Hospital in Pulaski, and Crockett Hospital in Lawrenceburg have combined to form Southern Tennessee Regional Health System (STRHS).
The four hospitals, all affiliated with LifePoint Hospitals® of Brentwood, Tenn., will join forces to share best clinical practices for quality care, achieve operational efficiencies, create organizational scale to enable the addition and expansion of important services, and expand access to primary care services in the southern middle Tennessee region. The combined system has 382 licensed beds, more than 300 affiliated physicians, 1,250 employees, and serves more than 160,000 people in rural communities in the region.
Phil Young, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Southern Tennessee Medical Center and Emerald Hodgson Hospital, will continue to oversee the operations of these facilities and serve as president of STRHS. Jeff Noblin, CEO of Crockett Hospital in Lawrenceburg, and Jeff Jennings, CEO of Hillside Hospital in Pulaski, will continue in their current roles.
This innovative organizational move is designed to address unprecedented changes in the healthcare industry. The changing healthcare landscape has prompted LifePoint and its southern Tennessee facilities to create STRHS to improve healthcare delivery in Tennessee’s rural communities.
The four hospitals included in the new health system have been meeting the unique needs of their respective communities for many years. The new health system brings together the combined strengths and resources of the four hospitals to continue to improve quality care and enhance access to important healthcare services to a growing number of Tennesseans. By joining forces, the hospitals will have the scale to expand and improve services, while bringing about efficiencies to minimize cost.
“As affiliates of LifePoint Hospitals since the company’s founding in 1999, our four hospitals have benefitted from shared services such as information technology, best practices in quality care and patient safety, and access to capital for ongoing investments in facilities and equipment,” said Young. “By coming together under this new structure, we will create new opportunities to expand physician coverage in primary care, medical and surgical subspecialties.
The new system also will allow our physicians to expand existing services, such as cardiology, orthopedic surgery and others and bring new services previously unavailable to our communities. Additionally, by coordinating certain management services we will realize efficiencies and standardizations that will advance our commitments to quality care and patient safety, while reducing costs where possible.”
“We are excited about our future as a new health system,” said Noblin. “Our patients, physicians, employees and our communities will see our hospitals become even better and stronger.”
Jennings added, “Our communities in southern middle Tennessee deserve and have come to expect the very best in healthcare services. For the past 14 years our commitment has been to live up to those expectations. As part of Southern Tennessee Regional Health System we are better prepared to deliver on that commitment in the future.”
About Southern Tennessee Medical Center and Emerald Hodgson Hospital
Southern Tennessee Medical Center (STMC) and Emerald Hodgson Hospital (EHH) operate together to serve the communities of Franklin and Grundy Counties in southern middle Tennessee. With 705 employees, more than 100 affiliated physicians, and 52 volunteers, STMC-EHH is committed to “Leading the Way” in delivering quality healthcare services to the communities they serve.
About Crockett Hospital
Crockett Hospital is a 99-bed licensed acute care hospital serving Lawrence and surrounding counties in southern middle Tennessee. The hospital offers a wide range of acute, sub-acute, and evolving ancillary services. With 342 employees and more than 120 affiliated physicians, Crockett Hospital is committed to “Healing with Empathy and Serving with Compassion.”
About Hillside Hospital
Hillside Hospital is a fully accredited, 95-bed acute care hospital, providing comprehensive healthcare services to an eight county region of Southern Tennessee and Northern Alabama. With 230 employees, more than 90 affiliated physicians, and 35 volunteers, Hillside is a major economic engine in Giles County. Committed to “promoting healthier communities”, the Hillside family is passionate about delivering personal, high quality healthcare services to the communities we serve.
About LifePoint Hospitals
LifePoint Hospitals® is a leading hospital company focused on providing quality healthcare services close to home. Through its subsidiaries, LifePoint operates 57 hospital campuses in 20 states. With a mission of “Making Communities Healthier®,” LifePoint is the sole community hospital provider in the majority of the communities it serves. More information about the company, which is headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., can be found at the company website. All references to “LifePoint,” “LifePoint Hospitals” or the “Company” used in this release refer to LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. or its affiliates.
