River Hospital in Alex Bay pursues affiliation with Upstate Medical after Crouse affiliation expires

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — River Hospital in Alexandria Bay and Upstate Medical University in Syracuse on Tuesday announced that they’re pursuing a clinical affiliation.

The proposed partnership would have both health-care organizations “working together on numerous efforts aimed at developing clinical programs that promote prevention, wellness and continuity of care, throughout the River communities,” Upstate Medical announced.

River Hospital’s affiliation agreement with Crouse Health expired as of Dec. 12, according to an Upstate Medical news release.

“The affiliation agreement between Crouse Health and River Hospital was for a two-year time period, which has concluded. Crouse continues to have a presence in the North Country and remains open to future collaboration with River should the opportunity present itself,” Robert Allen, VP of communication & government affairs at Crouse Health, tells CNYBJ in an email.

River says it will continue its “strong” affiliation with Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg under the North Star Health Alliance, which formed in 2015. The North Star Health Alliance serves as a “passive parent” to River Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, and their sister organizations while “ensuring operational independence.”

“Upstate is pleased to be developing this relationship with River Hospital,” Robert Corona, CEO of Upstate University Hospital, said in his organization’s release. “As the region’s only academic medical center, Upstate stands ready to collaborate with River Hospital in meeting the needs of the patients and advancing healthcare delivery in the North Country.”

River Hospital and Upstate say they have been working collaboratively to enhance service delivery in the North Country “for several years.” This relationship has proven “essential” to River’s expansion of “critical” services, such as telehealth and onsite specialty resources.

“Expanding our partnership with Upstate is a natural next step that furthers our collective efforts toward sustainable, community based health care,” Emily Mastaler, CEO of River Hospital, said. “River is committed to cultivating partnerships that prioritize the provision of exceptional care in the communities in which our patients live. We are truly excited for this opportunity to partner with Upstate in a manner that makes that possible in new and creative ways.”

About River Hospital

River Hospital was designated as a critical access hospital in 2003.

Licensed for 15 acute care and nine swing beds, River Hospital operates an emergency room, along with offering primary family health care, behavioral health, laboratory, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, ambulatory surgery, and radiology services.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com