The following is a press release from UAMS:
LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Bradley County Medical Center (BCMC) in Warren are planning to sign a management consulting and co-branding agreement. The agreement was approved Thursday by the BCMC Board of Directors.
Under the agreement, BCMC will retain its assets, operations, and oversight of the hospital. No changes to patient services, hospital staff, or daily operations will result from the agreement. BCMC retains full operational authority. Under the agreement, UAMS will provide advisory management services across key operational areas and assist the hospital in identifying opportunities to improve daily operations.
UAMS, the state’s only academic health system, and BCMC have worked together for many years. BCMC is a participating hospital in UAMS’s Stroke Program, which provides telehealth consults with UAMS neurologists so that hospitals around the state can offer lifesaving ischemic stroke treatment.
“At UAMS, we believe every Arkansan should have access to outstanding healthcare in their own community,” said UAMS Chancellor C. Lowry Barnes, M.D. “Through this management services agreement with Bradley County Medical Center, we are strengthening our efforts to improve health outcomes in South Arkansas by supporting the hospital with advisory services and expert recommendations.”
“This partnership with UAMS represents an important step forward in our efforts to improve healthcare access across South Arkansas,” said Leslie Huitt, CEO and CFO of BCMC. “Through this agreement, UAMS will provide management advising and bring the strength of the UAMS brand to help us meet the evolving needs of our patients and create new opportunities to enhance care for the communities we serve.”
This year, UAMS announced co-management agreements with Helena Hospital and Mena Regional Health System as well as a strategic partnership with Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff. On Oct. 1, UAMS Health will open a 53-bed hospital in Saline County.
