Ministry Health Care confirms long term commitment to cancer care in Stevens Point
STEVENS POINT (May 31, 2016)— Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital and Ministry Health Care have worked together with Marshfield Clinic to provide cancer care in Stevens Point since 1999 and in the past few years under a joint agreement to offer care to the community. Earlier this year, Marshfield Clinic gave notice of termination for that agreement, effective February 10, 2017. As the two organizations move in different directions, Ministry (now part of Ascension) is committed to continuing a long-term presence in the community to provide a full range of cancer care services. Ascension is the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system.
“We are working hard to ensure patients continue to receive the high-quality, compassionate, personalized cancer care they have come to expect from Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital and Ministry Health Care,” stated Jeff Martin, Regional Vice President for Ministry Health Care.
Design work is currently underway for an addition to the Cancer Center that will offer a warm, private environment for medical infusion patients and a separate entrance to the building. Ministry is also working in collaboration with the Medical College of Wisconsin to bring additional clinicians to the community to ensure the continuation of both medical and radiation oncology services to the Ministry Saint Michael’s campus.
“Following the successful establishment of a Ministry-directed oncology services program at the James Beck Cancer Center in Rhinelander, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Douglas Reding and Dr. Thomas Klinkhammer will be available to provide cancer care in the Merrill and Weston communities beginning in July, 2016 and in Stevens Point by February, 2017,” noted Martin. “Both are highly skilled clinicians with excellent training and experience in providing cancer care.”
Dr. Douglas Reding, Vice President of Oncology Services, is leading hematology and medical oncology services development through Ascension Wisconsin locations. He has been providing hematology/medical oncology services in Wisconsin since 1986. He is a Diplomate with the American Board of Internal Medicine including the specialties of hematology and oncology and is also a Fellow in the American College of Physicians.
Dr. Thomas Klinkhammer is board certified in internal medicine, clinical oncology and hematology. He has a strong interest in the treatment of cancers and blood disorders. He studied biomedical engineering at Marquette University and became interested in treating cancer patients during his residency at the University of Arizona.
“As we look to the future, Ministry Health Care’s top priority is to continue to provide high-quality, compassionate, personalized cancer care to our patients in our region on the Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital campus,” noted Dr. Reding.
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About Ministry Health Care
Ministry Health Care (ministryhealth.org) is an integrated healthcare delivery network serving more than 1.1 million people across Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. Ministry generates nearly $2.2 billion in annual operating revenue with 15 hospitals, 46 clinics and 10,000 associates, including 700 physicians and advanced practice clinicians. In 2013, Ministry Health Care joined Ascension, the largest Catholic and not-for-profit healthcare system in the nation. In that same year, Ministry became part of Integrated Health Network (IHN), which represents more than 5,000 physicians, 500 clinics and 42 hospitals in northern, central and eastern Wisconsin. IHN was created to improve the quality, efficiency and value of healthcare services in the markets served by its members.
Ministry is ranked among the top 20 percent of healthcare systems in the country according to Truven Health Analytics, and five Ministry hospitals are ranked in the top 10 in the state in Medicare’s Hospital Value Based Purchasing (VBP) program. Network Health, co-owned by Ministry Health Care and Froedtert Health, has received 4½-star recognition by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for its Medicare Advantage plans.
About Ascension
Ascension (ascension.org) is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system, Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2015, Ascension provided nearly $2 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Approximately 160,000 associates and 36,000 aligned providers serve in 2,000 sites of care – including 137 hospitals and more than 30 senior living facilities – in 24 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to healthcare delivery, Ascension subsidiaries provide a variety of services and solutions including physician practice management, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, clinical care management, information services, risk management, and contracting through Ascension’s own group purchasing organization.
About Ascension Wisconsin
Ascension Wisconsin includes Columbia St. Mary’s, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare and Ministry Health Care (which includes Affinity Health System), with 27 hospitals and hundreds of sites of care across the state. Together, the health systems employ more than 24,000 associates and nearly 1,000 medical group physicians. In fiscal year 2015, the health systems that now comprise Ascension Wisconsin provided $300 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty.
