CMH Affiliates with Munson Healthcare

This affiliation agreement creates opportunities for future collaboration.

September 15, 2008 - Munson Healthcare and Cheboygan Memorial Hospital (CMH) have entered into an affiliation agreement that creates a platform for future collaboration. The Munson Healthcare Board of Directors approved the agreement September 3, 2008, following affirmation by the Cheboygan Memorial Hospital Board.

The affiliation does not change ownership or management of the Cheboygan hospital. Leaders at both Cheboygan Memorial and Munson Healthcare said the agreement represents shared goals of quality health care as close to home as possible for the residents of northern Michigan.

“This is about how we can best serve patients. It is the local hospital that understands their communities’ health care needs,” said Munson Healthcare President and CEO Doug Deck. “Our goal is to support Cheboygan Memorial Hospital in the delivery of local health care and to better coordinate care regionally.”

Cheboygan Memorial Hospital President and CEO Barbara Cliff agreed a key component in the decision to affiliate was a shared commitment to quality.

“The mission and strategic goals of CMH are consistent with the MHC strategic plan for the delivery of quality health care services to the residents of northern Michigan, and this relationship will further enhance our direction,” she said.

“At CMH, our goal is to provide the best possible health care for the people of our community. Upon careful consideration, our ultimate decision to affiliate with the Munson System had a lot to do with a shared commitment to providing quality health care close to home. Another key consideration is the opportunity to work with the seven other hospitals in the Munson System on initiatives to continually improve patient care in a fiscally responsive manner. Affiliating with a system, and not a particular hospital, allows us to meet this priority,” said Cliff.

CMH Board of Trustees Chairwoman Susan Eno said the board believes Cheboygan-area residents will reap positive benefits through the collaboration.

“This agreement allows us to partner with a top quality health care system,” she said. “We are excited about this collaboration which will allow CMH to provide enhanced services to our community, now, and in the future.”

As the Munson Healthcare system evolves, Munson Healthcare Board Chairman Tom McIntyre said it is focused on preserving and improving local access to quality care, as well as developing a regional health care delivery system. “We are so pleased with this affiliation because it further enhances our system's ability to deliver quality, patient-centered care throughout northern Michigan,” he said.

Cheboygan Memorial Hospital serves area residents with 46 acute care beds, including a four-bed intensive care unit, 24-hour, seven-day emergency department, and a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services. It also has a 50-bed long-term care facility. The Indian River Medical Center is also part of the CMH family.

The Munson Healthcare System meets the needs of patients from more than 30 counties in northern Michigan. The affiliation with Cheboygan Memorial Hospital brings to eight the number of hospitals within the Munson Healthcare system including Kalkaska Memorial Health Center, Mercy Hospital Cadillac, Mercy Hospital Grayling, Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord, Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital in Frankfort, and West Shore Medical Center in Manistee.

The system also includes Munson Home Health, Munson Hospice and Palliative Care, and North Flight EMS ground and air services.