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The building project would be the cornerstone of a seven-year agreement, which is the latest in a series of joint ventures between Wayne and the Dayton-based Premier hospital network — including Premier’s affiliation with the Wayne Cancer Center, and a program in which Premier provides on-call physicians to diagnose and treat stroke patients using telecommunications technologies.
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“They’ve all been very successful joint ventures, and I think that gave us the confidence to take the plunge with something bigger,” said Premier Health President Mary Boosalis. “We are excited to build upon a proven record of success with an organization that is committed to enhance health care right here in Greenville.”
The proposed venture — pending approval in March by Wayne’s parent, Wayne Hospital Co. — would allow Wayne to remain independent, although Premier would assume control of one-third of the hospital’s board during the contract period, while Wayne would occupy two non-voting seats on the Premier board.
Wayne Deschambeau, president and CEO at Wayne Healthcare, said he welcomed the proposed alliance with Premier, which would allow the small hospital to leverage the resources of its much larger neighbor, and provide those services closer to home.
“From the standpoint of a small hospital, we are very limited in some of the activities that we use on an ongoing basis,” Deschambeau said. “We don’t have the size and all the additional expertise. For the 50,000 population that we serve in Darke County … this is an opportunity for the Premier facilities to be able to service those things.”
At the end of the contract term, Wayne HealthCare will have the right to request to continue the relationship without change, request a restructuring of contract elements or dissolve the joint venture, according to a press release.
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