Media contact: Bob Shepard
The potential affiliation will help RMC Health System to sustain and improve access to high-quality, low-cost care close to home.The Health Care Authority of the City of Anniston (RMC) Board of Directors and Leadership Team announced today that they have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) for RMC to become an affiliate of the UAB Health System.
“RMC’s Board is excited to take this next step to improve local access to the best healthcare,” said Jay Jenkins, Chair of the RMC Board of Directors. “An affiliation with UAB will help ensure we can continue to meet the healthcare needs of our friends, family, and neighbors in Northeast Alabama for years to come.”
RMC has a proud history of serving the local communities and is a leading employer in the region. To maintain this cornerstone institution, the Board and Leadership Team determined a meaningful partnership was required to succeed in delivering the best healthcare to the surrounding communities, as well as meeting the evolving health needs of their patients.
“I’m thrilled about this next step to pursue an affiliation with the UAB Health System,” said Louis Bass, President and CEO of RMC. “We know the UAB Health System supports our core beliefs and the way we care for people, and that UAB Health’s priorities for excellent patient care align with our own. Together, we are committed to delivering quality local healthcare to our community.”
RMC entered this process thoughtfully, proactively, and from a stable position, which allowed the health system to explore a range of options from some of the most respected healthcare organizations in the country. After careful consideration, the Board and Leadership Team selected the UAB Health System to continue with as a potential partner.
“This arrangement would bring two outstanding health care organizations together,” said UAB President Ray Watts, M.D. “RMC is the flagship hospital for Northeast Alabama, and this linkage would combine the strengths of the UAB Health System with the outstanding care that RMC has provided their patients for years. We look forward to working with RMC to explore how this closer relationship could boost and enhance health care delivery for the residents of Calhoun County and all of Northeast Alabama.”
A potential affiliation with the UAB Health System supports RMC’s vision to continue to improve patient care and provide greater healthcare access in its five-county service area through:
- Growing service lines, with a renewed focus on exploring a joint venture for a new Cancer Center in Calhoun County.
- Collaborating with the UAB Health System to further enhance patient care and quality practices, as well as improve RMC’s financial sustainability.
- Partnering to support specialty physician recruitment efforts.
RMC and the UAB Health System have a longstanding relationship and, for more than 10 years, have successfully collaborated in several areas, such as Cancer Care, Radiation Oncology and Pathology services, Patient Experience and Engagement, and Antimicrobial Stewardship to reduce the resistance to antibiotics and decrease the spread of infections to improve patient outcomes.
“The UAB Health System has enjoyed a long and beneficial relationship with RMC since 2011,” said Dawn Bulgarella, CEO of the UAB Health System. “A new affiliate agreement would extend the full clinical expertise and medical research capabilities of UAB to the Anniston/Oxford region and help RMC continue to deliver exceptional care to their community. Additionally, there are potential advantages to be gained through combined purchasing power, governance, and economies of scale that would benefit both organizations.”
Additionally, RMC’s vision for a potential affiliation with the UAB Health System includes a focus on:
- Excellent Clinical Care and the opportunities to collaborate to bring new services and care to the local region.
- Supporting Employees and Providers through a good cultural alignment that supports the vital role RMC plays in the region and will help position RMC as an employer and clinical partner of choice for the entire medical community.
- Supporting Growing Communities: Recently, Calhoun County and the surrounding communities have experienced considerable economic growth. As the region continues to develop, local communities must have a healthcare system that can meet the growing healthcare needs of the future.
- Care Close to Home so that patients can see their doctors and receive the highest-quality services they need locally.
With this announcement, both organizations will enter a period of due diligence to fully determine the details of a final agreement. Pending further approvals, including from the Health Care Authority of the City of Anniston Board of Directors and the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees along with a standard regulatory review, the organizations plan to finalize an agreement later this summer.
The RMC Board and leadership team commit to keeping the community informed as the process moves forward. Visit RMCForward.org for the latest news and updates.