Wishard, Community create partnership

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - People in need of medical care will soon have easier access to health care throughout Marion County. That's the outcome of a new partnership announced Monday by two Indianapolis area health networks.

Community Health Network and Wishard-Eskenazi Health have worked out a deal designed to run each more efficiently while providing health care throughout Indianapolis.

That means, patients who normally use Wishard — which will soon become Eskenazi — will be able to get treated at any of the Community hospitals and vice versa.

Health care reform is at the center of the partnership. With health care coverage to an additional 30 million Americans expected by 2022, Bryan Mills, President of Community Health Network and CEO of the new partnership, says this deal will make the process go more smoothly.

"We have a responsibility to take care of people, irregardless of their ability to pay. That we can in fact provide quality, provide access, and do it with the resources we have," he says.

A new board will be put into place that will oversee the combined health care networks.

The partnership is not a merger. Both will keep their own properties, names and alliances already in place.