Officials from Hornell’s St. James Mercy Health System and Guthrie Healthcare System announced June 7 that they have agreed to enter into an affiliation as of July 1, following talks between the two systems that began more than a year ago.
According to a statement issued jointly by St. James Mercy and Guthrie, the agreement will be aimed at enhancing physician recruitment to St. James Mercy’s service area and assisting the Hornell hospital with electronic medical record development, personnel management, finances, quality review and strategic planning.
"We have expended a great deal of time and effort identifying the right partner to help us keep and strengthen services where they are needed and to attract new specialties," Mary LaRowe, president and CEO of St. James Mercy, said in a statement. "We are confident we have found that partner in Guthrie. They offer a stellar track record of delivering high quality care and services in rural settings, and we are excited about what they bring to the table."
"This is a great step for two great health systems," Mark Stensager, president and CEO of Guthrie, added in a statement. "The partnership between St. James and Guthrie strengthens us both. St. James will benefit from Guthrie’s medical resources and administrative support, and as Guthrie recruits physicians for western Steuben County, the successful growth of those practices, in turn, increases all patients’ access to care for the Twin Tiers region."
Founded in 1890, St. James Mercy comprises the hospital, the McAuley Manor senior residence and 11 clinics located throughout a largely rural service area. St. James Mercy is a member of Catholic Health East, a Catholic health system based in Newtown Square, Pa. It is one of two Catholic hospitals in the Rochester Diocese along with St. Joseph’s in Elmira, which this year entered into a formal agreement with Elmira’s Arnot Ogden Medical Center.
This marks the second Steuben County hospital to have a Guthrie link. Guthrie also operates Corning Hospital as well as Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa., and Troy Community Hospital in Troy, Pa. In addition, Guthrie’s system includes the Guthrie Clinic, a multispecialty medical practice in Pennsylvania and New York.
