UK joins Eastern Ky. Healthcare Coalition, giving it five hospitals

The University of Kentucky and St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington, W.Va., are joining the Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition, originally comprising Highlands Regional Medical Center of Prestonsburg, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital of Ashland and St. Claire Regional Medical Center of Morhead.

“UK HealthCare and St. Mary’s will make excellent additions to the coalition’s efforts to develop a clinically integrated network of providers to enhance the health status of our communities,”  coalition Executive Director Jim Fuzy said in a UK press release.

Although each medical center remains autonomous, the coalition promotes integration Dr. Michael Karpfto help coordinate for collective efficiencies, adapt to health reform, deal with vendor contracts and have combined health events, while increasing patient access to quality care, said the release.

"As Kentucky’s largest academic medical center, focused on providing advanced sub-specialty patient care, we at UK HealthCare are committed to improving the health of the people of Eastern Kentucky and through our collaboration with other members of the Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition, we will be able to impact and improve the access and quality of care for Kentuckians,” said Dr. Michael Karpf, UK's executive vice president for health affairs.