QUINCY, IL…. Blessing Health System and Hannibal Clinic announced today that they have signed an affiliation agreement which will allow them to work more closely together to enhance clinical programs and services, to improve access to quality healthcare, and to lower healthcare costs.
Leaders of both organizations have identified initial areas of joint effort including: expansion of clinic services, particularly in rural areas; coordinated recruitment of physician specialties; and, attracting and retaining healthcare providers to address the challenging healthcare needs of the region.
“At Blessing Health System, we are committed to providing services that are convenient, accessible, and vital to our mission to improve life,” said Maureen Kahn, president and CEO of Blessing Health System. “As a leading healthcare provider in the region, it is our goal to work cooperatively with physicians and other providers who share our commitment to delivering superior outcomes, innovative care, high levels of service, and greater choice for patients and employers on both sides of the river.”
Hannibal Clinic is a 50+ provider multi-specialty group providing patient care from its main facility in Hannibal and four satellite facilities in northeast Missouri. Blessing Health System is the parent company of Blessing Hospital in Quincy, and Blessing Physician Services, with 100+ multispecialty providers. Together, they offer more than 150 of the finest, high-quality providers available in the region.
“With this affiliation, Hannibal Clinic’s patients will have regional access to even more advanced specialty care, while ensuring that high quality care remains local and close to home,” said Erik Meidl, MD, President and CEO of Hannibal Clinic.
Blessing Hospital offers cardiology services in Quincy, which include cardiac catheterization, open heart surgery and a recently opened electrophysiology lab that helps patients address irregular cardiac rhythms. Blessing also offers a newly-created hybrid operating room with advanced imaging and robotic surgery.
Hannibal Clinic recently added a multi-disciplinary sports medicine clinic, the only one of its kind in the region; has seen several of its general surgeons attend Hidden ScarTM training for breast cancer surgery techniques that lead to optimal clinical and aesthetic outcomes; and has successfully recruited a new neurologist to the area, in order to address an otherwise unmet community need.
Blessing and Hannibal Clinic have had a relationship since January 2009 through participation in a durable medical equipment and supply business in Hannibal operated by Denman Services, Inc., an affiliate of Blessing Health System. Also, Blessing Physician Services, in conjunction with Hannibal Clinic, expanded access in northeast Missouri for cardiology care in 2016. “This affiliation will provide a platform upon which the Hannibal Clinic and Blessing Health System can continue to build and extend innovative ways of providing care to the community,” said Dr. Meidl.
“As a progressive, independent health system, Blessing Health System works to create relationships to strengthen healthcare in the region,” said Kahn. “We currently have affiliations with Scotland County Hospital, Chaddock, and Advance Physical Therapy as well as an association with Fort Madison Community Hospital in Keokuk.” she said.
Blessing Health System is also a participant in the BJC Collaborative, a partnership among health care systems throughout Illinois, Missouri and Eastern Kansas. The Collaborative was founded by BJC HealthCare (St. Louis), Memorial Health System (Springfield, Ill.), Saint Luke’s Health System (Kansas City), and CoxHealth (Springfield, Mo.) to improve the quality and efficiency of health care in the region. While remaining independent, member and participant organizations collaborate to achieve savings, deploy clinical programs and services to improve access to and quality of health care for patients, lower health care costs, and create additional efficiencies that will benefit patients and communities.
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Blessing Health System is made up of two award-winning hospitals, a nationally-recognized physician group, an accredited college of nursing and health sciences, a network of medical specialty businesses and a charitable foundation. Serving a primary market area of west central Illinois, northeast Missouri and southeast Iowa, Blessing Corporate Services, Inc., is the parent company of the System providing support and direction to Blessing Hospital; Illini Community Hospital; Blessing Physician Services; Denman Services, Inc.; The Blessing Foundation and Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences. The Mission of Blessing Health System is to improve the health of our communities.
Hannibal Clinic was founded in Hannibal, Missouri, by four local physicians in 1957. Through an extensive series of moves and expansions, Hannibal Clinic has become a large multi-specialty group practice serving the healthcare needs of the surrounding community for the past 60 years. Hannibal Clinic boasts more than 50 high-quality physicians and nurse practitioners, and employs more than 300 staff members and professionals in the local area. Hannibal Clinic provides services at its main clinic in Hannibal; at the James E. Cary Cancer Center, and the Northeast Missouri Ambulatory Surgery Center, both also in Hannibal; and at satellite facilities in Bowling Green, Center, Monroe City, and Palmyra.