DCH System Selects Local Healthcare Group for Management Services

The DCH Health System announced it has selected local healthcare groups to provide hospitalist services to both DCH Regional Medical Center and their Northport Medical Center.

Hospitalists are doctors that provide care for patients without a regular physician, or if their regular physician does not practice at the hospital. Hospitalists work from the time of admission until a patient's discharge.

In a Tuesday press release, the hospital system announced its new partnership with Capstone Health Services Foundation, which is affiliated with the University Medical Center and is the current employer of University Hospitalist Group Physicians. DCH will also partner with IN Compass Health, a physician staffing management company.

Capstone runs the University Hospitalist Group, which is an affiliate foundation of the University of Alabama and is part of UA's College of Community Health Sciences, operating out of the University Medical Center.

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UHG currently already provides hospital medicine services at DCH facilities. During the application process to also oversee hospitalist services, UHG's proposal included a partnership with IN Compass, which is based out of Alpharetta, Georgia. This group will provide operational oversight and be responsible for day-to-day operations and quality of care metrics for the hospitalist program.

IN Compass will also have a hand in recruitment for Capstone, as well as selecting and hiring physicians. Any physicians who will work within the DCH hospitalist program will be employed through Capstone.

“The combination of Capstone and IN Compass will be a strong partner with DCH in providing quality medical care and ensuring patient satisfaction at the hospitals,” said Bryan Kindred, president and CEO of the DCH Health System. “Partnering with these two health care leaders to staff and manage both DCH Regional Medical Center
and Northport Medical Center helps ensure quality, continuity and consistency of care, since the same providers, using the same care models, will be delivering care at both locations."

The selection of both Capstone and IN Compass was made after a rigorous evaluation process conducted by DCH with expertise lent by PYA, a nationally recognized consulting group.

Capstone's focus is to employ "exceptional local physicians," who will be invited to continue to serve as hospitalists at DCH System hospitals.

“Partnering with IN Compass will allow Capstone Health Services Foundation to collectively offer DCH local and national knowledge along with the best practices of a leading medical center and a leading hospitalist management company,” said Richard Friend, the dean of UA’s College of Community Health Sciences. “We are pleased to expand our relationship with DCH and work together to elevate care for the citizens of West Alabama.”

This contract will be effective starting October 1 at Northport Medical Center and November 1 at DCH Regional Medical Center.