Jamestown, ND (KCSi-T.V. News Apr 18, 2013) — Jamestown Regional Medical Center Board has voted to pursue an affiliation agreement with Sanford Health.

An affiliation agreement the lowest level of relationship Sanford offers would allow Jamestown Regional Medical Center’s board to keep all its decision-making powers, while allowing JRMC to offer patients more cancer care options.

Some of the benefits, pending affiliation, include, JRMC being able to install and use Epic, an electronic health record system already in use by the Sanford and Essentia clinics in Jamestown.

　

JRMC, CEO Todd Hudspeth, says, “I think Sanford wants the relationship because they have a lot of investment in the community with the two clinics. They want to deliver care as close to the patients’ home as possible.”

Through the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center, JRMC would be able to expand its chemotherapy offerings, and eventually, radiation therapy may be offered as well.

Hudspeth points out that adding radiation cancer therapy would require the hospital to invest approximately $5 million in equipment. ”

Also, using the Epic record-keeping system would allow JRMC’s electronic records to be totally compatible with those of Sanford and Essentia clinics, both of which use the same system.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the hospital would eventually be penalized financially if Epic or a similar system were not installed and utilized.