Ascension Wisconsin, the Glendale, Wis.-based branch of the Catholic hospital giant, is partnering with microhospital operator Emerus to open several small, neighborhood hospitals throughout the state in the next two years.
The hospitals will be staffed by emergency medicine physicians and run 24/7 as part of a larger hub of healthcare services that may include primary care, specialty care, imaging and/or outpatient surgery, according to a joint announcement about the partnership. The hospitals are slated to open by the end of 2020 or in early 2021.
For Ascension, the aim of the partnership is to increase the system's presence and accessibility.
"As Ascension Wisconsin continues to grow, our priority is to make healthcare easier to access and more convenient for consumers," Bernie Sherry, senior vice president of Ascension Healthcare and ministry market executive of Ascension Wisconsin, said in a press release."This model provides an innovative way to integrate inpatient and outpatient services while keeping care close to home. This will be our focus as we increase our presence in the communities we are privileged to serve."
Emerus is rapidly building microhospitals throughout the country. It has partnered with 10 other health systems and currently operates 24 microhospitals, with 20 more in development.
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