IDM Hospital to join Arnot Health network
By BOB RECOTTA THE LEADER

BATH - Officials from Arnot Health and Ira Daven-port Memorial Hospital announced Monday the two sides have reached an affiliation agreement.

Under the deal, Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital, including the Fred and Harriett Taylor Health Center, would become part of Arnot Health.

"The alignment of Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital and the Fred and Harriett Taylor Health Center with Arnot Health brings additional resources to our organization and allows us to provide better services and attract more highly qualified professionals to the region," said Jim Watson, CEO of Ira Davenport.

Tony Cooper, president and CEO of Arnot Health, said the focus of the affiliation is to bring additional services to Ira Davenport.

"Rural hospitals have a difficult time surviving," Cooper said. "In New York state it's especially tough. The board and management staff of Ira Davenport should be commended. We just started a sleep disorder center at Ira Davenport and are looking at other new services as well."

Cooper said the staffs of the two hospitals will do a survey of services offered in order to identify other areas where the two hospitals can work together.

Cooper said the survey would take between two and three months.

A gynecologist, neurologist and general surgeon from Arnot are already working part-time at Ira Davenport, Cooper said. He said the survey may also identify equipment the two hospitals could share.

Wrapping Ira Davenport into the aegis of Arnot Health could save the two organizations money, but Cooper said neither organization would realize savings in the short term.

"There should be some cost savings, especially in the back office, when we put things together," Cooper said. "Over time as our computers work better together, when people decide to leave, we may not replace everybody."

Cooper said there were no immediate plans to cut staff from either hospital.

"We have not even started to look at that," Cooper said. "Ira Davenport has always run efficiently. I think odds of that are slim."

The two organizations have been in formal affiliation talks since January. Cooper said the affiliation still has to be approved by the state health department.

He predicted that process could take from six to 12 months.