Elk Regional Health System remains committed to the Johnsonburg community and will maintain a strong presence there for years to come.
That was the message during a joint town hall style meeting held recently at the Johnsonburg Fire Department by representatives of Elk Regional Health System, Hamot Medical Center and Kane Community Hospital.
Elk Regional Health Center enjoys a clinical affiliation with Hamot, while Kane Community Hospital is an affiliate of Hamot. During the meeting, representatives explained what those relationships mean and how the Johnsonburg and Wilcox communities benefit from them.
“Elk Regional is deeply committed to the Johnsonburg and Wilcox communities,” said Gregory Bauer, President and CEO of Elk Regional Health System. “We’re not going anywhere. In fact, we’re offering more services than ever in Johnsonburg.”
Dr. Hisham Shawish, a family practitioner, has already begun seeing patients at Elk Regional’s Johnsonburg facility. In July, Dr. Rowan Baird, who is also a family practitioner, will begin seeing patients there. In addition, Dr. Steven Koch, who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology, and Julie Syzmanski, a certified nurse midwife who specializes in women’s health and maternity care, have begun seeing patients in Johnsonburg. Elk Regional has also recruited Dr. Naveen Singanamala, an orthopedic surgeon, and Dr. Adrienne Fueg, a general surgeon, to enhance the surgical services available to Johnsonburg residents.
Community Nurses, Inc. maintains an office at Elk Regional’s Johnsonburg facility, which also offers laboratory services.
“We’re here for the long haul,” Bauer said. “And that’s important for people to know. We are committed to bringing specialists to this community and offering services here for your convenience. There was some concern after the Platts left that we would have a revolving door and that people wouldn’t be able to form a relationship with their physician. That’s not the case. These physicians are in Johnsonburg to stay – and so is Elk Regional. We’ve made a solid investment in this community and will continue to do so.”
Kane Community Hospital, an affiliate of Hamot Medical Center, also maintains services in Johnsonburg. At Hamot Medical Park on Clarion Road, Kane Community Hospital maintains laboratory services and offers PET and CT scanning, dentistry and maintains a physical therapy and fitness center. Two family practitioners – Max Pavlock, D.O. and Chau Wu, M.D. – also see patients at Hamot Medical Park.
“The landscape of healthcare is changing,” said J. Gary Rhodes, the CEO of Kane Community Hospital. “You’re going to see more and more health systems working together in partnership. We chose to affiliate with Hamot because they respect local, community hospitals and understand that without a community hospital, a community can be irreparably damaged. We are confident that we made the right choice.”
During the town hall meeting, Bauer described Elk Regional’s clinical affiliation with Hamot as a “successful, strong” relationship.
Thanks to that clinical affiliation, beds at Hamot Medical Center are available in the event a critical care patient at Elk Regional needs to be transferred. Elk Regional also enjoys the services of Dr. Francis D’Urso, a full-time cardiologist practicing in St. Marys. Dr. D’Urso is backed by a team of cardiologists at Hamot’s Heart Institute. In addition, Hamot physicians who specialize in emergency medicine assist Elk Regional with providing round-the-clock emergency room coverage.
“Healthcare is an ever-changing environment,” Bauer said. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better – there’s going to be a lot of upheaval because of the healthcare reform legislation. We at Elk Regional felt it was important during times like these to be linked to a strong partner like Hamot whose values match our own. I think we’ve chosen well.”
The clinical affiliation with Hamot does not infringe upon Elk Regional’s independence, according to Gary Maras, a senior vice president at Hamot Medical Center.
“Our relationship is founded on local control,” Maras said. “That’s how healthcare should be, as far as we’re concerned. It’s not about take-over or about a bigger hospital coming in and taking the best physicians for themselves. It’s about joining forces and making sure people have access to the best. It’s about keeping healthcare local. But most of all, it’s about partnerships. Give it five years – 10 at the absolute most – and every hospital in America will be involved in some kind of a partnership. That’s not a bad thing. Working together is how you succeed.”