By: Follow South Jersey Staff
SALEM, N.J. – Salem Medical Center will now be a part of the Inspira Health Network after the signing of a definitive agreement.
“This is a historic moment,” SMC Board of Trustees Chairman William J. Colgan said in a press release from SMC. “Our decision to become part of Inspira and its growing health network in South Jersey will ensure high quality health care for Salem for many years to come.”
The SMC Board of Trustees voted unanimously to become part of Inspira. The new name of the hospital will be Inspira Medical Center – Salem.
“Joining forces with Inspira will mean so much to our hospital – to our physicians, to our staff, to our community,” Chief Executive Officer Tammy Torres said. “Our partnership will allow us to continue to serve the community by providing the latest in medical and communication innovation. This is an important – and exciting – moment for our hospital and for Salem County.”
Salem County will benefit in many ways from joining a larger health care system, but sustainability is benefit number one. With more than 100 years of service to the Salem County area, Salem Medical Center has been and continues to be a major resource for health expertise in this region, and for some residents unable to travel out of the county it remains the only resource.
In February 2019, SMC transitioned to new ownership and returned to not-for-profit status. SMC is guided by a volunteer board, comprised of many local members, with only the best interest of the hospital and community in mind.
A joint statement fromTorres and Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for Inspira Health Dave Yhlen stated, “Salem Medical Center and Inspira Health share the same vision of bettering the health of the communities in which they serve and the collective strength of this partnership will propel access to high-quality care teams, innovative offerings, and best-in-class resources to more people within the Salem community.”
The community relies on many SMC services, including a new 26-bed Inpatient Psychiatric Unit and related behavioral health services. SMC made a major commitment to wound care by renovating and relocating the wound care center to the front of the building, ensuring easy access for patients, with plans to bring in hyperbaric chambers. SMC’s fully digital imaging suite offers an array of radiology services, including 3D Mammography, MRI, CT, PET and DEXA scans, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound and X-Rays. In addition to inhouse laboratory services, SMC provides Bariatric Surgery, Neurosurgery, General Surgery, Interventional Radiology, 24-7 Emergency Services, plus ICU and Medical-Surgical beds. Cardiac rehab as well as oncology, cardiac and pulmonary services are also readily available.
Salem Medical Center is focused on making the services that we provide, both hospital-based and outpatient programs, reflective of the evolving needs of the population we serve.
Joining a larger health care will enable us to expand our services to Salem County to include Women’s services, expanded Primary Care Practices and physician specialists, comprehensive Oncology, such as Radiation Treatments, and Cardiology Services, such as catheterization and other heart-related procedures and surgeries, Urgent Care, and access to affiliations with larger university hospitals.
An added benefit to help offset the COVID-19 pandemic would be access to additional intensive care beds, additional staff and other resources to lessen the already overburdened resources of local health care providers.
The transaction is expected to be completed following review and approval by the New Jersey Attorney General in 2022.
“This is a milestone moment for our organization,” Torres and Yhlen said in their statement. “It furthers Inspira’s commitment to increase access to convenient, high-quality health care in South Jersey.”
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