Tri-Town Regional Hospital to Become Emergency Department of A.O. Fox Hospital Jan. 1

On January 1, 2018, Tri-Town Regional Hospital (TRH) in Sidney will become a satellite emergency department of A.O. Fox Hospital. The facility will be newly named A.O. Fox Hospital Tri-Town Campus. Services will not be impacted by this transition. Both locations will continue to be part of the Bassett Healthcare Network.

"The conversion to a satellite emergency department is a regulatory-related change that will not impact services to our patients," explains Bassett Healthcare Network Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Manzer. "An around-the-clock physician-staffed emergency department and laboratory and radiology services will remain available at Tri-Town, along with a variety of specialty services including orthopedic care. Patients who need a higher level of care will continue to be transported to the closest acute care hospital appropriate to their medical condition."

Patients and providers at A.O. Fox Hospital and Tri-Town will continue to use the same electronic health care record in place throughout Bassett Healthcare Network. TRH has been certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) since 2008, under the sponsorship of Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. However, stricter interpretation of CMS certification requirements has resulted in TRH's conversion to a satellite emergency department model.

Under state regulations, a satellite emergency department is required to be within 35 miles of an acute care hospital. A.O. Fox Hospital is 23 miles from TRH in Sidney while Bassett Medical Center is just over 45 miles away. As of Jan. 1, the Tri-Town campus will be overseen by A.O. Fox Hospital president Jeff Joyner.

"A.O. Fox is excited to align its services with Tri-Town," says Joyner. "Our network of care is growing ever stronger and by having these two great organizations come together, we will further enhance efficiency in care for both patients and staff."

"Partnering with our colleagues at A.O. Fox Hospital has been a very positive experience," says Peter Burghardt, senior director of operations at Tri-Town. "Folks in our local communities are also pleased with the integration. Many have received care at Fox and have praised the quality of services that they or a loved one has received. Patients are also very appreciative of the private rooms at Fox, which provide a unique healing environment."

Providing the best care possible to patients remains Bassett Healthcare Network's leading priority and TRH remains a vital link in the network's continuum of care across the Tri-Town region.