CT Health partners with Utah hospital

Carson Tahoe Health and University of Utah Health Care announced a partnership Thursday designed to extend cost-effective care resources to people in this region.

Ed Epperson, Carson Tahoe’s president and CEO, said health care is changing rapidly and continued success as an independent hospital requires that CTH find the right partner. Earlier this week during a Rotary Club appearance he said the Utah university teaching hospital is less expensive but better than other potential partners with which an affiliation agreement could be crafted, answering a question about why California partners weren’t chosen.

Both CTH and Utah officials stressed the affiliation doesn’t change ownership, local control and governance matters, nor will it restrict patient choices regarding providers. Yet the affiliation agreement, which formalizes partnership activities that have gone on before, gives Northern Nevada patients advanced care opportunities such as those that have complexities, like neuroscience matters.

“This partnership,” said Dr. Richard Rodriguez, chief medical officer at CTH, “will provide greater access to the (Utah) university’s Neurosciences Center and give our patients the ability to participate in leading-edge treatments only available through larger academic centers.”

The partnership with the Salt Lake City-based hospital, said Epperson, will help his health care facilities with business-related aspects as well as those in health care.

“Running a great hospital requires talented healers and talented business leaders,” he said.

Utah spokesmen sounded equally pleased with the affiliation.

“Inherent in our mission as a teaching hospital is our responsibility to share clinical best practices, research advances, and provide our community partners with the educational resources we’ve developed as a university,” said Dr. Sean Mulvihill, CEO of University of Utah Medical Group.

David Entwistle, University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics CEO, said the goal is to enhance CTH service to Carson City area residents with quality care and better access to specialty care not currently available to them.