Two BJC Collaborative members will affiliate
Decatur Memorial Hospital will become the second largest hospital in the Springfield-based Memorial Health System, pending regulatory approval. The boards of both nonprofit health care organizations reached an affiliation agreement in late April, with full affiliation set to occur on Oct. 1, 2019.
“Remaining on the leading edge of health and patient care is critical to delivering on our mission,” said Timothy D. Stone Jr., president and CEO of Decatur Memorial Hospital. “Joining a neighboring, like-minded, leading health care organization will help us provide lower-cost, higher-quality health care using innovative practices and technology.”
Memorial Health System – a founding member of the BJC Collaborative – comprises Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln and Taylorville Memorial Hospital in Taylorville, as well as Memorial Physician Services, Memorial Behavioral Health and Memorial Home Services.
“Our organizations share a commitment to build healthier, stronger communities through exceptional care. This affiliation with Decatur Memorial Hospital and the physicians who serve those communities is a significant milestone in our efforts to increase access to health care across central Illinois,” said Ed Curtis, president and CEO of Memorial Health System. “With the addition of Decatur Memorial Hospital, we are able to do more for our region.”
Decatur Memorial Hospital has more than 2,300 employees and 300 medical staff and is the third largest employer in Decatur and Macon County. Memorial Health System has nearly 7,100 staff members and 900 partnering physicians.
“Both Memorial Health System and Decatur Memorial Hospital have a century-long track record of living out their missions to improve the health of the people and communities they serve. This affiliation will improve access to care in the region and strengthen Memorial’s commitment to the people of central Illinois,” Curtis said.
“Our patients are our number-one priority, and we are excited about the profound difference this affiliation will make in our community,” Stone said.
As a Memorial affiliate, Decatur will maintain local governance and leadership with day-to-day operations managed by the Decatur executive team. The hospital also will maintain a local community board of directors, similar to the other Memorial affiliate hospitals and will have directors serving on the Memorial Health System board.
Since forming the BJC Collaborative in 2012, member systems have focused together on establishing clinical programs and services to improve access to and quality of health care for patients, achieving savings and creating efficiencies, and sharing best practices to develop solutions to shared challenges. Memorial Health System was one of the four founding members in 2012. Decatur Memorial Hospital joined the BJC Collaborative in 2016.