Local hospitals working together is good for patients

Those who attended this month’s First Friday Coffee with the Cape Chamber received a real treat.

The program featured a question-and-answer session, moderated by Southeast Missourian publisher and Rust Communications co-president Jon K. Rust, with Saint Francis Healthcare System president and CEO Maryann Reese and SoutheastHEALTH president and CEO Ken Bateman.

In addition to getting to know these newcomers to Southeast Missouri, there was a larger takeaway: The health-care providers are finding ways to work together.

Bateman has been at the helm of Southeast for a few years, while Reese, who previously served as a VP and COO at Saint Francis, was named CEO a couple of months ago. The CEOs are communicating on opportunities to better serve the community. Emergency preparedness is one area, but they also acknowledged if there are other areas that make sense on which to collaborate, it’s a conversation they want to continue.

Reese and Bateman also acknowledged the importance of healthy competition — which should benefit patients through quality care.

The other big takeaway when you consider the business of health care is the number of people employed by each system. Combined, the two organizations have almost 4 1/2 times the number of employees in the county as the next-largest employer, Procter & Gamble.

If you missed the program, check out the story by Marybeth Niederkorn that appeared in the Southeast Missourian and semissourian.com.

Hats off to both leaders for looking to work together where possible to make health care more affordable and finding new and innovative ways to provide services to the region.