Lifespan and Gateway Healthcare Sign Intent to Affiliate Agreement

Posted Thursday, May 03, 2012

Agreement will strengthen and expand behavioral health services in Rhode Island

In a move designed to enhance behavioral health care coordination and patient access, Lifespan, Rhode Island’s largest health care system and Gateway Healthcare, the largest community behavioral health care organization in Rhode Island, have signed a letter of intent to affiliate. The affiliation is intended to help make behavioral health care services more accessible, affordable and financially sustainable in this evolving health care marketplace.

Under the proposed affiliation agreement, Gateway Healthcare will become part of Lifespan, which includes Rhode Island Hospital and its pediatric division Hasbro Children’s Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, Newport Hospital and Bradley Hospital, the nation’s first psychiatric hospital for children. Gateway Healthcare, which provides integrated treatment and prevention through residential, outpatient and community-based programs that reach more than 15,000 residents annually in 42 locations, will fall under the Lifespan umbrella.

“This is an exciting affiliation for Lifespan and one that builds on our commitment to a new model of health care that provides patients with new ways to access the care they need. This is essential as health care delivery continues to shift outside the traditional hospital setting,” said George Vecchione, Lifespan’s president and CEO. “Gateway Healthcare is well known in the region for providing top-notch care to the vast populations it serves and is a strong advocate for those needing mental health and substance abuse services. We look forward to completing a due diligence process so we can work together to provide even better care to the people of our region.”

According to Richard Leclerc, Gateway’s president, the affiliation with Lifespan will help Gateway maintain its critical role in an increasingly integrated health care delivery system. “By partnering with a system such as Lifespan, Gateway will be positioned for a pivotal role in the care models emerging from national and state health reform,” he said. “These models call for full integration of mental health and substance abuse treatment with primary medical services. Lifespan has the full breadth of services and support to make this a reality.” Leclerc added, “Ultimately, we will be better positioned to fulfill our mission of providing assistance and care to individuals of all ages with behavioral and substance abuse issues throughout Rhode Island.”
 
This affiliation represents a logical step at a time of limited public resources for behavioral health services and increased calls for interdisciplinary care in which individuals can have all their needs from one system of providers sharing their clinical expertise. Gateway already has gained significant experience through integrated care projects in a variety of health settings, including hospitals, community health centers and private-practice settings.

In addition, Gateway has a demonstrated track record of successful affiliations with other health and human-services organizations in Rhode Island, partnerships that have benefited the patients and families that these providers serve. Among the entities that have become part of Gateway in recent years are Capital City Community Centers, Caritas, Inc., FRIENDS WAY, The Autism Project, New Hope for Families and South Shore Center.

The affiliation with Lifespan will position Gateway to assume a more prominent role in providing behavioral health services in a coordinated fashion that will benefit patients and improve the affordability at a time of increasing health care costs.

More about Lifespan

About Gateway Healthcare
Established in 1995, Gateway Healthcare is Rhode Island’s largest provider of community behavioral healthcare, offering integrated treatment and prevention through residential, outpatient and community-based programs. With its staff of over 700, Gateway’s tenure in the Rhode Island community boasts an annual clientele of over 15,000 unduplicated men, women and children, providing a comprehensive continuum of services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our network of affiliates includes The Autism Project, Capital City Community Centers, Caritas, Inc., FRIENDS WAY, Lighthouse for Youth, New Hope for Families and South Shore Center. Gateway (www.gatewayhealth.org) proudly stands alongside its affiliates in a mutual effort to address creative solutions for community care. This impressive continuum places Gateway at the forefront in assisting individuals in the community in a myriad of ways.

Filed under: Bradley, Hasbro, Lifespan, Miriam, Newport, RIH,