In an op-ed piece recently released to the public, Jennie Stuart Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Keith Toms, MD, said careful and thoughtful deliberation over the last year led to the exploring of a potential transaction with Deaconess Health — and that the decision was the result of “extensive evaluation” and “deep consideration” for what’s best in the community.
He noted that Deaconess Health “shares the values and culture” of community-based care, and that they recognize the “unique spirit” of Hopkinsville. Furthermore, he believes Deaconess Health is committed to “preserving the personal touch that defines” Jennie Stuart, and by joining forces, the hospital “will gain access to advanced technology and financial resources that will dramatically enhance” the company’s ability to serve south western Kentucky.
A critical asset in the region for 110 years, Toms said Jennie Stuart Hospital remains as a destination for patients seeking care, and as a home for practicing physicians that grew up in the community.
Toms was born and raised in Hopkinsville, and has been the hospital’s CMO the past five years.
Recent letters from Jennie Stuart’s Dr. Kabithe and Dr. Parrent, he added, shared knowledge of the technology enhancements that could come to the total health system.
This includes the funds needed to upgrade to a best-in-class electronic health record system known as EPIC, the premier IT health platform in the country.
Deaconess, he noted, plans to maintain all current services and offerings, while expanding capabilities, bringing in more specialists and offering treatments that might have previously required patients to travel outside the community.
Of the promised $95 million commitment to the community, Deaconess, he said, intends to allocate $5 million directly to the Jennie Stuart Health Foundation. Toms called this a “meaningful investment” in the Foundation that will secure the future of programs like the “Tree of Life,” which provides critical funding for local cancer patients, and “Operation Love,” which supports Jennie Stuart employees in overcoming unexpected financial hardship.
This decision, he closed, is being made with one goal in mind: “to strengthen Jennie Stuart Health so [they] can better meet [the] healthcare needs now and in the future.”
