Partnership expands services of SoutheastHEALTH

The company that owns Southeast Hospital has taken another step in growing its regional health-care footprint.

On Friday, SoutheastHEALTH announced its newest partnership, with Poplar Bluff, Mo.-based Advanced Healthcare Management Services LLC. The agreement was effective Jan. 1.

SoutheastHEALTH has purchased all the physical assets and assumed management of Advanced Healthcare's facilities, according to a SoutheastHEALTH news release.

Facilities include:

• Advanced Healthcare Medical Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Ellington, Mo.;
• Rural clinics in Ellington, Poplar Bluff, Doniphan, Mo., and Van Buren, Mo.;
• A 35,000-square-foot office building in Poplar Bluff that houses family practice, podiatry, radiology, pharmacy, medical spa and business offices;
• And a home-health agency based in Ellington serving Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon and Butler counties and part of Dent, Iron, Madison, Wayne and Carter counties, all in Missouri.

Advanced Healthcare employs 139 people and has affiliations with 11 physicians and four practicing nurses, company CEO Paula Harris said in the news release, and it has about 70,0000 people in its primary service area.

SoutheastHEALTH plans enhancements under the partnership, which include opening an outpatient surgery center at the Poplar Bluff location and technological upgrades and renovations at the Ellington hospital, Jim Limbaugh , SoutheastHEALTH executive vice president of business planning and development said.

"Southeast's newest partnership is consistent with our continued growth and strong regional presence," Limbaugh said in a prepared statement. "We look forward to providing residents excellent healthcare, at an affordable cost, close to home. We are excited about the many opportunities this partnership holds."

Other recent growth moves by SoutheastHEALTH were the 2010 assumption of management duties at Ripley County Memorial Hospital in Doniphan and a partnership and management agreement with Dexter Hospital LLC in Dexter, Mo.

Company president and CEO Wayne Smith said the latest partnerships bring the number of "team members" in the SoutheastHEALTH system to about 2,900.

Terms of the transaction weren't disclosed.

msanders@semissourian.com

388-3652

Pertinent address:

Poplar Bluff, MO

Doniphan, MO

Ellington, MO

Van Buren, MO