As economic difficulties continue to hit hospitals hard, two Milwaukee-area health systems have decided to share certain hospital-based physician services in an attempt to save money.
The agreement links Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – a Catholic not-for-profit organization with facilities in Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado and Illinois – and Aurora Health Care, a not-for-profit health system in eastern Wisconsin.
“These challenging times require fresh solutions if we are to maintain high-quality, accessible care,” said John Oliverio, president and chief executive officer of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. “In this case, two competing healthcare providers have found a cost-effective way to work together that will benefit patients.”
Nick Turkal, MD, president and chief executive officer of Aurora Health Care, also welcomed the new relationship.
“We hope that our agreement encourages a new spirit of cooperation among healthcare providers,” he said. “Competing organizations may increasingly find that the best way to serve their community is to work together.”
Under the agreement, physicians specializing in anesthesiology and radiology will care for patients at hospitals, clinics and surgery centers operated by both Wheaton Franciscan and Aurora. Oliverio said the physicians would practice as part of the Aurora Medical Group and serve on the staffs of both organizations.
“We have practiced at Aurora facilities since 2000, and have always been impressed by the professionalism of the people at Aurora,” said John Gobis, MD, president of Summit Anesthesiology. “My colleagues and I value our relationships at both the Aurora and Wheaton organizations and feel fortunate that we’ll be able to continue to serve patients of both systems.”
With the addition of Summit Anesthesiology, Aurora Medical Group is creating a division of anesthesiology.
Aurora also provides anesthesiology services through contractual relationships with other anesthesiology groups. Turkal said those relationships would continue.