Gerber Memorial Health Services and Spectrum Health to Explore Affiliation

Gerber Memorial Health Services (GMHS) and Spectrum Health have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to explore a potential affiliation. The process to evaluate the relationship will begin immediately and continue over the next year.

“This change would formalize an established relationship that has existed between our organizations since 1987,” said Richard C. Breon, Spectrum Health president & CEO. “The combination of resources and services that would result from a closer affiliation would help both organizations meet our mutual goal of improving the health of the communities we serve.”

Gerber Memorial Health Services, a 77-bed not-for-profit community hospital located in Fremont, initiated the exploration process.

“Our number one goal in exploring this relationship is to determine how we provide the highest quality and necessary services to our patients.’We want to be a strong and viable organization that provides local delivery of competent, compassionate and community health care into the future,” said Don Henry, chairman, GMHS Board of Directors.

“Our plan for quality and growth includes identifying the right relationships. The board and the executive team will to do what is best for our patients, community, associates and physicians,” explained Randall J. Stasik, GMHS president & CEO.

Gerber Memorial Health Services is a member of the Spectrum Health Regional Hospital Network and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Partners in Children’s Health. Stasik said that these existing relationships have resulted in significant savings and operational support for GMHS through group purchasing, shared services, and access to patient safety and quality initiatives.

GMHS, the only hospital in Newaygo County, received the 2007 Governor’s Award for Excellence in improving the quality of care and patient safety in the hospital setting. Services include a 24-hour Emergency Department, Women’s Health Center, Physician Offices, Cancer Treatment Center, modern Surgical Suites and accompanying ICU Unit, Birth Center, Tamarac – The Center for Health and Well-Being, and Continu-Care Home Health Services.’

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan that offers a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, a collection of seven hospitals and more than 140 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group, a multispecialty team of nearly 100 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with nearly 500,000 members. Spectrum Health’s 14,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and 2,000 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality care to those in medical need.’The organization provided $111.1 million in community benefit during its 2008 fiscal year. As a system, Spectrum Health has earned more than 100 awards during the past 10 years.