Dr. Marchelle Suppan, president and CEO of Dunlap Community Hospital, said her board had reviewed various options to make sure Dunlap Community could continue to fulfill its mission of providing family-centered care and wellness.   A partnership with Aultman was a logical choice, she said, because its management shares a vision of developing a highly effective, integrated system of health services. “We want to be able to continue to invest in new equipment and technology so we can continue to provide our patients with low-cost, high-quality care,” Suppan said. “We want to strengthen the services our community depends on us to provide. This arrangement will allow us to do that.”

 

According to Edward J. Roth III, president and CEO of Aultman Health Foundation, the arrangement means Dunlap Community will remain a not-for-profit, community hospital in Orrville with a local voice. “We think that’s good for the people of Orrville and good for both our institutions,“ he said. “Our board looked carefully at this opportunity and determined Dunlap Community Hospital offered a good fit to support our mission of leading our community to improved health.”

 

Under the arrangement, Dunlap Community will continue to operate as a critical access hospital - and the current management team will remain in place. Both parties said it is too early to comment on specific changes that might take place at Dunlap Community Hospital, but the intent is to preserve existing services and expand access to additional services. “We expect to work closely with the Dunlap Community staff in the months ahead to integrate their programs and services,” Roth said. “We will be looking to improve efficiencies where we can, but we intend to respect the unique role that Dunlap Community plays in Orrville and the surrounding communities.” Suppan noted the arrangement would give Dunlap Community's patients improved access to specialty care and advanced services. Aultman is a regional leader in cardiac care, neurosurgery, cancer care, women’s health and orthopedics, among others.

 

As part of the transition, the Dunlap Community board of directors will continue to have 12 members: six members will be selected by the current Dunlap Community board and six will be selected by the Aultman Health Foundation board. Roth and Suppan said they expect the board selection process to be a collaborative effort designed to support Dunlap Community's mission.

 

The final agreement is expected to be completed this fall, after further details are completed by both Dunlap Community and Aultman, and the proposed arrangement is submitted to the state of Ohio.

 

Dunlap Community Hospital is a not-for-profit, 25-bed critical access hospital that has served Orrville and the Wayne County area for more than 60 years. Dunlap Community provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services including diagnostic testing, obstetrics, medical, surgical and emergency care. Dunlap Community employs 250 healthcare professionals  and has a medical staff comprised of 125 active and courtesy physicians. For more information, visit www.dunlaphospital.org.

 

The Aultman Health Foundation is a not-for-profit health care organization serving Stark and surrounding counties. Aultman Health Foundation operates an exclusive vertically integrated health care system that includes Aultman Hospital and AultCare Corporation, a managed care company. With 682 beds, 530 active physicians and a staff of more than 5,000 employees, Aultman Hospital is Stark County's largest hospital. For more information, visit www.aultman.org.