Campbell County Health to enter into discussions with health system for additional healthcare resources

Campbell County Health’s Board of Trustees has approved negotiating a potential Letter of Interest with UCHealth to establish a formal relationship with the health system.

The potential relationship would not be a buyout or purchase, but rather a formal collaboration that would provide Campbell County Health (CCH) access to some of UCHealth’s resources, training and expertise, while keeping CCH locally owned and operating as an independent county hospital district. 

CCH would continue to be governed by its publicly elected Board of Trustees, and employees would continue to be employed by CCH. The Letter of Intent process will allow input from important stakeholders, including the medical staff, CCH employees and the community on what they would like to see in a final agreement.

UCHealth, a nonprofit health care system based in Colorado, already collaborates with the hospitals in both Laramie and Cheyenne. Hospitals in Wyoming and all over the country have moved toward such arrangements as a way to reduce expenses, share state-of-the-art technology, and improve access to administrative and clinical expertise.

A formal relationship with UCHealth could provide services to support the setting of future goals and strategy, and could strengthen CCH’s economic vitality, so the organization can stay focused on providing quality services. CCH currently employs approximately 1,200 people and contributes an annual impact estimated at $408 million to the local economy.

Campbell County Health may be able to access an improved IT infrastructure, clinical expertise, training, and a new electronic medical record system. A strong and efficient supply chain is another potential benefit of a formal relationship with UCHealth. Group purchasing contracts can help reduce overall costs of a hospital while ensuring that high-quality supplies, like PPE, testing kits and medications, are available when needed.

“CCH has been exploring how to elevate the care that we provide our patients and the community while maintaining our independence and autonomy,” Campbell County Health Board Chair Adrian Gerrits said. “We believe exploring a relationship with UCHealth, who would potentially be an excellent partner, because they have a similar mission and values to help achieve these goals. We look forward to input from stakeholders. Our goal is to provide the highest quality care to the patient closest to home. ”

“We view partnerships like this as an opportunity to elevate patient care, improve efficiencies and improve the overall health of people throughout the region,” president and CEO of UCHealth’s northern Colorado region Kevin Unger said. “Campbell County Hospital District, its medical group and clinics have a reputation for providing high-quality care and an excellent experience for patients. We would be honored to partner with CCH to help advance their excellent work.”