Topic: FWIW: Mountain Health Network has been renamed Marshall Health Network

[Flat Tire 2]

New name, thoughts?

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. ? Marshall University, Marshall Health and Mountain Health Network announced today the official formation of Marshall Health Network Inc., an integrated academic health system with Marshall University?s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

Mountain Health Network has been renamed Marshall Health Network which comprises four hospitals: Cabell Huntington Hospital, St. Mary?s Medical Center, Hoops Family Children?s Hospital and Rivers Health; ambulatory facilities, medical offices and employed physician practices; along with Marshall Health physician practice and its facilities.
https://www.marshall.edu/news/2023/10/marshall-university-marshall-health-and-mountain-health-network-announce-new-integrated-academic-health-system/

Coverage by WSAZ.
https://www.marshall.edu/news/2023/10/marshall-university-marshall-health-and-mountain-health-network-announce-new-integrated-academic-health-system/

[andy31]

I guess for the visibility of the medical school and its involvement with the hospital system this is a good thing.  Anecdotally, from my personal experience, the merger of the hospitals has not been a good thing for the quality and accessibility of care in the area.

[herdfan93]

I agree with you Andy on the level of care.  I think it has def dropped since the merger.

[svherd]

I guess for the visibility of the medical school and its involvement with the hospital system this is a good thing.  Anecdotally, from my personal experience, the merger of the hospitals has not been a good thing for the quality and accessibility of care in the area.

I second that emotion. Even my GP admits it.

[herdorbust2]

We all knew this was heading for Marshall running things. Imo everything has went downhill since the merger.

[elginherd]

And since the merger, it seems like a fair number of experienced physicians have left for greener pastures.

[BigJimslade]

I agree with you Andy on the level of care.  I think it has def dropped since the merger.

Curious as to what u base your opinion
Do u have survey data
Thanks

[herdorbust2]

And since the merger, it seems like a fair number of experienced physicians have left for greener pastures.

Yep and it's getting hard to recruit good ones here. Nurse shortage and tech shortages. Lots of travel people now being paid huge money. I've never seen it like this and not even close.

[BuckHerd]

I can't really agree with the perceived decrease in quality of healthcare. The biggest problem is the onslaught of drug ODs and those people taking up rooms at the hospital. THAT I have experienced myself. After an operation, it took forever to get a room....they were taken up by the drug addicts. Oh, this happened well before any merger!

[coloradoherd]

A lot of the problems being mentioned with staffing, financial struggles, retirements, etc. are being dealt with by hospitals everywhere in the country since COVID. And it has always been hard to recruit here.

If the hospitals here are going to be merged anyway, I think it's in Marshall's and the community's best interest that everything be united under the banner of Marshall. That's the strongest and most meaningful brand we have, as opposed to the very generic sounding "Mountain Health."

This is happening everywhere. WVU Medicine is expanding aggressively throughout the state, and they understand the power of brand consistency. They recently took over Thomas Memorial in Charleston, and all the signage now has a huge WVU Medicine logo and says in tiny letters under that "Thomas." If you go to Pittsburgh, everything is under University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Every hospital is UPMC this or UPMC that. If people don't unite under the Marshall banner here and drop their petty tribalism, one day we could have WVU Medicine - Cabell and WVU Medicine - St. Mary's.

[herdorbust2]

A lot of the problems being mentioned with staffing, financial struggles, retirements, etc. are being dealt with by hospitals everywhere in the country since COVID. And it has always been hard to recruit here.

If the hospitals here are going to be merged anyway, I think it's in Marshall's and the community's best interest that everything be united under the banner of Marshall. That's the strongest and most meaningful brand we have, as opposed to the very generic sounding "Mountain Health."

This is happening everywhere. WVU Medicine is expanding aggressively throughout the state, and they understand the power of brand consistency. They recently took over Thomas Memorial in Charleston, and all the signage now has a huge WVU Medicine logo and says in tiny letters under that "Thomas." If you go to Pittsburgh, everything is under University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Every hospital is UPMC this or UPMC that. If people don't unite under the Marshall banner here and drop their petty tribalism, one day we could have WVU Medicine - Cabell and WVU Medicine - St. Mary's.

I've been at SMMC for 22 years. Trust me, it's not the same. Back then I would have stayed in hungtinton for virtually any type of health problem. Now I'm getting very concerned for the future when it comes to healthcare.

[Garbanjo]

I'm confident this is a good move for Marshall and Huntington

Smith kinda knows what he's doing

Sheesh..........

[goherd73]

It's positive for Marshall and the Tri-state.

Remember if Mountain Health hadn't been formed, St Mary's would have been purchased by an out of state firm. The Pallottine Sisters were selling it.

No guarantee it would have been good for Marshall with no local control.

[herdorbust2]

I'm confident this is a good move for Marshall and Huntington

Smith kinda knows what he's doing

Sheesh..........

Smith has nothing to do with this. This was planned before he came. Now I'm sure he is involved since he is here. But this was going to happen no matter who became Marshall's president. And I'll admit that it almost had to be done with big players all around. WV, Duke, Ohio St, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Vanderbilt, UK etc growing closer and closer. But that is a different subject than good healthcare.

[herdorbust2]

It's positive for Marshall and the Tri-state.

Remember if Mountain Health hadn't been formed, St Mary's would have been purchased by an out of state firm. The Pallottine Sisters were selling it.

No guarantee it would have been good for Marshall with no local control.

That is true sadly.

[herdfan48]

The level of quality care has definitely gone down since the merger.


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[MUther]

The level of quality care has definitely gone down since the merger.


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Completely disagree.  Been to both 5-6 times over the last few years including an extended stay at St. Mary's and they were excellent.  Bent over backwards to make sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed.  The only thing I could even nitpick on is that follow up care was at one while the initial stay was at the other, but not that hard to pop on interstate to 16th street instead of going all the way down 60.  That, and they haven't consolidated billing, so if you visit both you get separate bills. 

I think people that feel like the care has gone down had to wait a while in the emergency room.  As mentioned, between COVID and ODs it's always packed.  Can't blame the hospitals for that.

[svherd]

I can't really agree with the perceived decrease in quality of healthcare. The biggest problem is the onslaught of drug ODs and those people taking up rooms at the hospital. THAT I have experienced myself. After an operation, it took forever to get a room....they were taken up by the drug addicts. Oh, this happened well before any merger!

THIS. It was allowed to happen. Parkersburg and Charleston have and are taking steps to curtail the problem - good for them.

Anything serious happens to myself or family, we're heading to OSU or Cleveland.

[herdorbust2]

THIS. It was allowed to happen. Parkersburg and Charleston have and our taking steps to curtail the problem - good for them.

Anything serious happens to myself or family, we're heading to OSU or Cleveland.

When I retire in 3-4 years me and my wife will do the same thing. We have said the exact same thing. If it's an elective and can be scheduled it will be OSU or Cleveland. Trauma or emergency that I have no say over really worries me. But I've got a list that are not to touch me under any circumstance.

[Collis P]

THIS. It was allowed to happen. Parkersburg and Charleston have and are taking steps to curtail the problem - good for them.

Anything serious happens to myself or family, we're heading to OSU or Cleveland.

This probably has a lot to do with each individual and diagnoses.  With that said I have left the area 3 times with family members for Duke Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic and Mayo......... for treatment not available in this area!   

[The E-Man]

Huntington, and it's Hospital's have some great doctors here. There's a lot here that you don't have to travel to The Cleveland or Mayo Clinics. I can name off a few that would rival any from those clinics, Dr. Panos Ignatiadis is one of the best Neurosurgeons east of the Mississippi.  Dr. James C. Jensen, Urologist, Dr. John J. Jasko, along with Dr. Ali Oliashirazi, Orthopedic Surgeons are the best in their fields. I met a couple at Marshall Medical Center that flew all the way from Florida, just to have surgery by Dr. Ali. Huntington is blessed to have a lot of great Doctors here. Our Cardiology Dr.s are rated as some of the best in the nation.

[herdorbust2]

Huntington, and it's Hospital's have some great doctors here. There's a lot here that you don't have to travel to The Cleveland or Mayo Clinics. I can name off a few that would rival any from those clinics, Dr. Panos Ignatiadis is one of the best Neurosurgeons east of the Mississippi.  Dr. James C. Jensen, Urologist, Dr. John J. Jasko, along with Dr. Ali Oliashirazi, Orthopedic Surgeons are the best in their fields. I met a couple at Marshall Medical Center that flew all the way from Florida, just to have surgery by Dr. Ali. Huntington is blessed to have a lot of great Doctors here. Our Cardiology Dr.s are rated as some of the best in the nation.

Nobody said there wasn't any here. We were talking about the direction. It's not even close to what it was 10-15 years ago. And it's not all just the merger because it started before then but still continues.

[BuckHerd]

Huntington, and it's Hospital's have some great doctors here. There's a lot here that you don't have to travel to The Cleveland or Mayo Clinics. I can name off a few that would rival any from those clinics, Dr. Panos Ignatiadis is one of the best Neurosurgeons east of the Mississippi.  Dr. James C. Jensen, Urologist, Dr. John J. Jasko, along with Dr. Ali Oliashirazi, Orthopedic Surgeons are the best in their fields. I met a couple at Marshall Medical Center that flew all the way from Florida, just to have surgery by Dr. Ali. Huntington is blessed to have a lot of great Doctors here. Our Cardiology Dr.s are rated as some of the best in the nation.

Personally, I have had 2 surgeries by John Jasko, one of which was a total shoulder replacement and the other was on a meniscus tear in my knee. Both were highly successful and as I told Dr. Jasko, I really couldn't imagine those surgeries going any better anywhere else!

[svherd]

This probably has a lot to do with each individual and diagnoses.  With that said I have left the area 3 times with family members for Duke Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic and Mayo......... for treatment not available in this area!

Agree. I'm talking serious stuff here. Cancer and other diseases, going elsewhere. Ortho surgeries, hernia, joint replacements, etc. they can certainly do here. I've had work done by Dwight Sualle and all went very well. Good guy as well.

[elginherd]

Agree. I'm talking serious stuff here. Cancer and other diseases, going elsewhere. Ortho surgeries, hernia, joint replacements, etc. they can certainly do here. I've had work done by Dwight Sualle and all went very well. Good guy as well.

It depends on the specialties.
And in the case of cancer, depends on the type, progress and the patient.
There are going to be holes in what's locally available and at what quality when you're in a smaller metro region.