Ten rural hospitals form network to boost care for Wisconsin patients
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- Ten rural Wisconsin hospitals are forming a network to share resources and reduce financial burdens.
- The Wisconsin High Value Network will allow members to collaborate on initiatives and negotiate with insurers.
- Hospitals will remain independently operated but will share data, best practices and equipment.
- The network aims to improve healthcare access in rural communities, many of which face provider shortages.
A network of rural hospitals is being established in Wisconsin in an effort to share resources and expand patient access to care.
The 10 member hospitals of what is being called the Wisconsin High Value Network expect to collaborate on clinical and business initiatives through a clinically integrated network they believe will improve the quality of care while reducing costs, according to a Sept. 18 news release.
Here’s more about how it will work and how patients could benefit.
How will member hospitals and patients benefit from the new network?
The Wisconsin High Value Network is the sixth rural hospital network to be organized and operated by Cibolo Health, which has similar networks in Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and Ohio.
“The clinically integrated network will employ new technologies, establish innovative workflows and harness the power of collective clinical wisdom to support rural health care teams,” Clint MacKinney, chief medical officer for Cibolo Health and a Wisconsin doctor, said in the news release. “Bringing more care into rural communities advances our vision of supporting healthy Wisconsinites in thriving rural communities.”
The network’s member hospitals will keep local control, but a committee with a provider from each hospital will work to “enhance quality and care coordination, provide peer support and reduce administrative burdens,” the news release says.
The hospitals will also be able to share data, best practices and equipment to better serve their communities and overcome some of the obstacles faced by rural health care providers, said David Hartberg, the CEO of Vernon Health, a Viroqua-based hospital joining the network.
The 10 hospitals that currently make up the network collectively serve about 400,000 patients across the state and have a combined $880 million in net revenue, the news release says. The hospitals will pay dues to belong to the network.
What hospitals are currently Wisconsin High Value Network members?
The current members of the new network include:
- Vernon Health (Viroqua, Wisconsin)
- Black River Health (Black River Falls, Wisconsin)
- Edgerton Hospital and Health Services (Edgerton, Wisconsin)
- Grant Regional Health Center (Lancaster, Wisconsin)
- Lafayette Hospital and Clinics (Darlington, Wisconsin)
- Reedsburg Area Medical Center (Reedsburg, Wisconsin)
- Sauk Prairie Healthcare (Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin)
- Richland Hospital (Richland Center, Wisconsin)
- Southwest Health (Platteville, Wisconsin)
- St. Croix Health (St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin)
Where do gaps in health care access exist in Wisconsin?
There are 505 health professional shortage areas in Wisconsin, which is defined as areas where there are 3,500 or more patients for every provider, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.
In Wisconsin, 44 out of 72 counties are designated as shortage areas. Roughly 1.7 million Wisconsinites live in such a shortage area, with low-income residents disproportionately affected, according to the Cicero Institute.
Wisconsin is expected to be short 2,263 doctors, including 942 primary care providers, by 2030. Nearly a third of physicians in Wisconsin are already within range of retirement.
Anna Kleiber can be reached at [email protected].
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