St. Joseph’s Health, Rome Memorial Hospital finalize affiliation agreement

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — St. Joseph’s Health and Rome Memorial Hospital (RMH) have finalized an affiliation agreement they had first announced “less than a year ago.”

They’re referring to the affiliation as a “collaborative relationship in pursuit of mutual goals to expand patient access to needed services in the community,” per a joint news release issued Thursday morning.

RMH will continue to operate as an independent, separately licensed hospital with community representatives providing local governance.

“St. Joseph’s Health shares our commitment to providing patients with high-quality, patient-centered care that is coordinated and easily accessible,” David Lundquist, president and CEO of RMH, said in the release. “The signing of the affiliation agreement provides the principles for RMH to work together with St. Joseph’s Health in collaboration to deliver the highest level of quality healthcare services to meet the needs of our patients.”

“We are very excited about our relationship with Rome Memorial Hospital because it creates a seamless connection between our health-care systems, improving patients’ access to the highest level of care,” Leslie Luke, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health, added. “St. Joseph’s and RMH share the mutual goal of making health care more accessible in local communities by coordinating resources.”

Luke succeeded the now-retired Kathy Ruscitto as St. Joseph’s president and CEO on Feb. 20.

RMH and St. Joseph’s announced plans to affiliate in March 2016. Since then, they say “progress has already been made” toward creating a regional, “integrated,” health-care delivery network.

RMH and its affiliated physician practices joined St. Joseph’s accountable-care organization and clinically integrated network, which the organization formed to focus on healthcare’s “triple aim.”

“Triple aim” seeks to “improve the patient experience of care, improve the health of populations, and reduce the per capita cost of health care,” according to the release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com