Hospital Collaboration Forms New Partnership

Eight hospitals in Northwest Ohio have formed Vantage Healthcare of Ohio, LLC in order to develop ways to improve care and efficiency. Vantage will enable its members to create new services, reduce costs, and provide easier access to healthcare in their local communities.

The eight hospitals comprising Vantage Healthcare of Ohio are: The Bellevue Hospital (Bellevue); Blanchard Valley Health System (Findlay); Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers (Bryan); Fulton County Health Center (Wauseon); Henry County Hospital (Napoleon); Magruder Memorial Hospital (Port Clinton); Fisher-Titus Medical Center (Norwalk); and Wood County Hospital (Bowling Green).

Within the six-county region of Northwest Ohio, these hospitals collectively operate 500 total beds, employ more than 4,000 staff, and have almost 20,000 annual discharges. By working together, the group’s focus will be improving efficiencies, patient outcomes and local access to care. Vantage, as a jointly owned company can make services more effective for the area’s patients.

“Under the Vantage structure the individual hospitals and their physicians can combine resources and efforts to create larger scale where necessary. Yet, we can retain the personal care that our smaller community hospitals are well known for,” said Stan Korducki, President of Wood County Hospital.

The concept of hospitals joining together to share services is not new. Alliances and shared service companies have been created before both in Ohio and elsewhere. What is new is the creation of a company owned by the member hospitals. The Vantage organization can then “own” services and provide them not only to the members but to the market place in general. The structure provides greater access to more services and partners than the traditional hospital structures typically allow.

After a year of research into collaboration models, the eight-hospital group identified Vantage Healthcare Network as its partner. The Pennsylvania-based company had successfully implemented a similar venture that saved its participating hospitals money and created new services. Vantage Healthcare Network has been in operation for over 30 years.

Taking advantage of this history of success, the company has been approved as the manager for Vantage of Ohio, and the name Vantage secured for Ohio use. “The name captures the concept of hospitals moving to a “vantage point” where opportunities can be seen that a single organization may not recognize,” said Korducki.