MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Mon Health and CAMC merger is about one month old and leaders of the newly formed Vandalia Health plan to improve service and reduce cost. On MetroNews “Talkline,” David Ramsey, President of Vandalia, and David Goldberg, Vandalia Vice President, said patients can expect familiar surroundings and growing opportunities to cut costs for quality health care.
“We are staying true to our markets,” Goldberg said. ” The medical staffs of each CAMC and each Mon Health hospital still represent those hospitals, boards and committees- but, we are together.”
The increase in scale of operations will reduce overall costs and the addition of new facilities will bring benefits to the residents of the communities they serve across the state.
“We can keep our costs low so we can continue to provide the same level of service we’ve always provided and hopefully increase that level, not be in the position where we’re having to reduce services to the community,” Ramsey said.
As the relationship matures both entities are comparing notes and adjusting where they can to cut the cost of care.
“We’re learning from each other,” Goldberg said. “We found that some contracts that we have for pharmacy distribution are better in one site than another and we’re able now to take those relationships and bring better pricing from the vendors we use.”
The institutions combined bring more than a century of experience providing care. Now, that care is offered through Vandalia from one end of the state to the other.
“CAMC is outstanding in the service areas they’re at as Mon Health has been in the north,” Goldberg said. ” Now, together we have one singular voice to be able to be part of the solution to reduce costs and improve our quality outcomes.”
Ramsey said the new entity has plans to purchase the Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, there will not be a name change and other facilities across the system will follow suit.
“People don’t care, the community doesn’t care, patients don’t care and the doctors don’t care what their system is called,” Ramsey said. “They care about what their hospital is called and the name it’s had for decades.”