decorahnews.com Special Report: In Tomah, it works (Part 2)

In Tomah, Wisconsin, unlike in Decorah, hospital administrators have had a history of getting along with both Mayo Clinic Health Systems and with Gundersen Clinic.

Tomah Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Phil Stuart says both clinics are involved with helping to make long range plans for the hospital and both are at the table when such issues are discussed.

"Our key is total transparency," Stuart tells decorahnews.com.  So when the Tomah hospital opens a satellite clinic at Warrens, Wisconsin or hires its own orthopedic surgeons, both clinics already know about the decisions ahead of time.

Tomah doctors work for one of three organizations: Tomah Memorial Hospital, Gundersen Lutheran Tomah Clinic or Mayo Clinic Health System - Franciscan Healthcare in Tomah. 

A five-person medical staff executive committee has two Mayo doctors, two Gundersen doctors and one hospital doctor.  The five doctors work hard to come to an agreement everyone can support, says retired Gundersen Clinic doctor Ralph Knudson.

Gundrsen Lutheran Tomah Clinic Manager Kathy Jo Coblentz says any issues tend to be taken care of at the physician level.  "There's a place for all of us," Coblentz tells decorahnews.com.  "We all have the same goal--the care of the patients."

For instance, the clinic managers and charge nurses meet on a quarterly basis with Tomah Memorial Hospital staffers to make sure any issues are ironed out.  In another instance, the two clinics have cooperated with the hospital in operating an intership program that brings medical students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to do internships in Tomah.

Says Tomah Memorial Hospital Board President Steve Austin, "Tomah Memorial Hospital has historically been able to work with both Gundersen and Mayo, through the efforts of our management team to constantly keep the communications open. These methods include but are not limited to: strategic meetings, inviting local providers to be on our hospital board, having an engaged medical staff committee, and by open discussions.  With our management team working and communicating with both health systems, having both system's co-operation, having the systems understand the importance of "local" quality health care, understand the importance of a "local" quality hospital, understand the importance of the "local" economic impact, and with the communities support; the "entire" local medical community has been successful in providing excellent health care to the Tomah area."

Concludes Austin, "With co-operation everyone wins…..especially the community."