West Michigan Hospitals Announce Forum for Hospital Collaboration

Holland Hospital and Spectrum Health explore collaborative strategies.

Holland Hospital and Spectrum Health have agreed to formally develop the Forum for Hospital Collaboration. The purpose of this new forum is to further develop and implement collaborative efforts between Holland Hospital and Spectrum Health which will improve the patient experience, enhance quality and value to businesses while elevating the health of the communities they serve.

“Spectrum Health has a long history of working with Holland Hospital to care for lakeshore patients,” said Richard C. Breon, President & CEO, Spectrum Health. “These new collaborative efforts will further increase the value of health care services provided throughout the Lakeshore area, by demonstrating higher quality, improved cost efficiency, greater access and enhanced patient satisfaction.”

“The changing landscape of health care has physicians, hospitals and health systems across the country actively pursuing clinical integration and collaborative activities,” said Dale Sowders, President & CEO, Holland Hospital. “Preeminent organizations such as Holland Hospital and Spectrum Health are finding new value in exploring local collaborative strategies to further improve quality, access to care and community health.”

Clinical integration efforts are currently underway at both Holland Hospital and Spectrum Health. These efforts bring physicians and hospitals together to develop collaborative solutions which improve patient management and access to care, enhance information sharing, and avoid duplicative efforts and expenditures. Although early in the process, both organizations see advantages for physicians and patients and recognize the strength which can result from broader organizational partnership focused on specific programs.

There is already a long history of innovative collaboration and successful partnership between Holland Hospital and Spectrum Health. Past collaboration has included the establishment of the Lakeshore Area Radiation Oncology Center (LAROC); the Lakeshore HMO (which eventually became Priority Health); rehabilitation services provided on the campus of Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital; and the Holland Community Health Center, which continues to provide care to uninsured and underinsured patients in the area. Most recently, this partnership has resulted in the development of the Spectrum Health Heart and Vascular Center located on the Holland Hospital campus.

Holland Hospital and Spectrum Health believe that having an even stronger collaborative effort will provide many benefits for families, individuals and local businesses throughout the Lakeshore region.