EDITORIAL: Hospital agreement could be win-win

Kalispell Regional Healthcare and North Valley Hospital have amicably shared services and collaborated for many years, so it was no surprise when the two health-care institutions announced Monday they are joining forces as one medical community under the umbrella of Kalispell Regional Healthcare.

Each hospital will keep its identity, but will have the ability to share staff and grow services together. Ultimately, it’s expected that will benefit patients. A plus of the new “affiliation agreement” — it’s not really a merger, administrators say — will be formatting medical records to be shared between the two hospitals, providing more continuity for patients.

It’s been a challenging time for the health-care industry in recent years as hospitals have adapted to provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act. Smaller hospitals such as North Valley have been particular vulnerable as massive consolidation within the industry has occurred. This new level of collaboration could make both local hospitals stronger.

We want the Flathead Valley to continue to have two strong health-care institutions, and this agreement seems to be crafted to allow each hospital to retain its identity.

Kalispell Regional has become a regional facility, offering top-notch care for cardiac and cancer treatment, and everything in between. North Valley, with its Planetree philosophy of patient-centered care, has carved out a niche as a genuine community hospital, with its Birth Center as a popular centerpiece of care.

The affiliation agreement seems like a forward-looking approach to health care that will serve both hospitals well.