Bradley County Medical Center (BCMC) in Warren and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) plan to sign a management consulting and co-branding agreement, according to a UAMS news release. The BCMC Board of Directors approved the agreement on Thursday.
Under the deal, UAMS will give advisory management services in key operating areas and help the hospital find ways to improve daily operations. BCMC keeps its assets, operations and oversight. The release says patient services, hospital staff and daily operations will not change, and BCMC keeps full operating authority.
The two have worked together for years. BCMC already takes part in the UAMS Stroke Program, which links rural hospitals with UAMS neurologists by telehealth for ischemic stroke treatment. BCMC CEO and CFO Leslie Huitt called the partnership an important step for healthcare access across South Arkansas. UAMS Chancellor Dr. C. Lowry Barnes said it would strengthen efforts to improve health outcomes in the region.
UAMS has signed similar agreements this year with Helena Hospital and Mena Regional Health System, along with a strategic partnership with Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff.
