EMHS signs affiliation agreement with Mass General Hospital
Courtesy / Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems
EMHS President and CEO M. Michelle Hood announced Wednesday that Brewer-based health care system has entered into a clinical affiliation agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the world's preeminent academic medical centers.
Brewer-based Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems has entered into a clinical affiliation agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the world’s preeminent academic medical centers, following months of discussions on how to work together to improve quality and reduce health care costs in Maine.
Those discussions included ideas such as using technology to advance care models and improve coordination of care for patients using services offered through both health systems. Specialty physician experts from Eastern Maine Medical Center have hosted their Mass General counterparts on two separate occasions since the beginning of the year to talk about ways they might work better together for the benefit of Maine patients. Telemedicine, research, and shared clinical protocols have been the topics of these discussions.
“Located in Boston, Mass General offers geographic proximity to Maine, making it an attractive clinical partner and valuable resource for those patients in Maine who can benefit from the kind of expertise and care that Mass General offers, and still remain close to home,” EMHS stated in a news release announcing the affiliation.
To formalize the collaboration between the two systems, EMHS President and CEO M. Michelle Hood and Dr. Peter L. Slavin, president of Massachusetts General Hospital, have signed a clinical affiliation agreement.
Donna Russell-Cook, president of Eastern Maine Medical Center, said the Bangor-based hospital’s care teams regard the affiliation as a natural extension of their ongoing efforts “to strengthen relationships that advance offerings for the communities we serve.”
“Our early discussions have been energizing and point toward opportunities to promote coordinated care and strengthen our ability to care for patients close to home,” Cook said.
Dr. Alasdair Conn, physician director of network development and emeritus chief of emergency medicine at Mass General, said both organizations realized from their discussions that they had much in common.
“Both of our organizations enjoy a dedication of all staff to improve patient care across the board, share an enthusiasm for the education of the next generation of health care professionals and wish to collaborate and share data — through research — to improve both clinical outcomes and efficiency of health care delivery,” Conn said. “In this exciting and challenging time in health care, this affiliation will enable us to work closer and attain these goals together.”
In addition to the collaboration at EMMC, EMHS and Mass General are also discussing opportunities to work together in population health and cancer care at EMHS’ Mercy Hospital in Portland. Mass General providers also provide direct patient care for inpatient adolescents at EMHS’ Acadia Hospital through telepsychiatry.
“We are enthusiastic about the developing relationship between our two systems,” Hood said. “There is a tremendous opportunity to make meaningful progress on tackling our mutual challenge of improved care at a lower cost.” said Hood.
Among the Mass General specialities whose clinicians will be working with EMHS as a result of the affiliation agreement are: neuroscience, telemedicine, transplant, cardiac, pediatrics, orthopaedic surgery and trauma.
“This new clinical affiliation enables us to not only expand upon the successful relationships that now exist among our hospitals but also to develop collaborations that will benefit even more patients and families going forward,” Mass General Peter L. Slavin said.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments