McLaren Health Care today announced that the purchase of defined assets of Cheboygan Memorial Hospital has been completed and the process of bringing back health care services to Cheboygan has begun.
After McLaren Health Care and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services reached an administrative understanding, U.S. bankruptcy court removed all impediments to the sale. All appropriate papers have been signed, and new services can now begin.
The Cheboygan facility will be known as McLaren Northern Michigan, Cheboygan Campus. It will functionally be a department of McLaren Northern Michigan, a 202-bed regional referral center, a subsidiary hospital of McLaren Health Care in Flint.
The primary and specialty care physician model of care currently in effect in the Cheboygan community can now be expanded. Services to be re-established will include
Emergency Services, laboratory and imaging services, and ambulatory and outpatient surgery services.
Staffing plans include additional hiring, for a total of approximately 150 former employees of Cheboygan Memorial Hospital. As the potential for expanded services evolves, this number could grow in the future.
During the week of May 7, physician practices will begin to relocate to the Medical Arts Building in Cheboygan and the Indian River Community Medical Center. Emergency Services are targeted to open the week of May 14, as well as lab and imaging services. Surgical Services are expected to begin the week of May 29.
By focusing resources on high quality emergency, outpatient, diagnostic and physician-based services, this new model of health care delivery in Cheboygan is designed to ensure long-term sustainability of health care services for the community. As such, inpatient services will be available at McLaren Northern Michigan in Petoskey.
“I want to recognize the tremendous effort by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services in working with McLaren to re-establish the provision of health care,” said Phil Incarnati, President and CEO of McLaren Health Care. “The dedication and hard work of elected officials played an essential role in making this agreement a reality. The advocacy of Representative Frank Foster (R-Petoskey) on behalf of the Cheboygan and Presque Isle area residents since the initial bankruptcy announcement has made a significant impact on this favorable outcome.”
“The confirmation of the sale between Cheboygan Memorial Hospital and McLaren Health Care is great news for the community, employees, and most importantly, the residents,” Foster stated. “These vital services, and the goal of these negotiations, have always been to ensure the quality of health care for the area.”
Thomas Mee, a McLaren representative who is serving as the McLaren Northern Michigan, Cheboygan Campus, Interim Administrator stated, “I’m delighted we got to this point. We were always commit¬ted to keeping health care in this community and I’m glad to see that back.”
Reezie DeVet, President & CEO of McLaren Northern Michigan, further stated, “I would like to thank the Cheboygan and Presque Isle County community for their support and confidence during these negotiations. We have enjoyed a long-standing history of collaboration with our regional partners in health care, and I look forward to the tremendous positive impact we can now make in northern Michigan with the support of McLaren Health Care, one of the top 25 leading health care systems in the entire country.”
About McLaren Health Care
With headquarters in Flint, Mich., McLaren Health Care is annually recognized as one of the top Integrated Health Networks in the nation. McLaren is one of the largest health care providers in the state with a system that reaches more than half of Michigan residents through more than 200 locations, 17,400 employees and 15,000 network physicians. McLaren Health Care net revenue exceeds $2.7 billion. The nonprofit system includes hospitals in Bay City, Flint, Lapeer, Lansing, Mount Clemens, Mount Pleasant, Petoskey and Pontiac. Additional health care services are provided at McLaren–Clarkston; McLaren–Bay Special Care in Bay City; McLaren Orthopedic Hospital in Lansing; and McLaren Proton Therapy Center in Flint (beginning late 2012). McLaren Health Care also operates McLaren Medical Group, an employed physician network; McLaren Homecare Group, an award-winning home health, hospice and medical supplies provider. For more information, visit mclaren.org.