In this new landscape, operating as a stand-alone organization is increasingly challenging, especially for rural hospitals like ours. Meaningful partnerships and collaborations are often required to secure the best healthcare outcomes for our patients and our organizations have already been collaborating for increased access.
A Tradition of Caring
The leaders and respective boards of Hills & Dales Healthcare and United Healthcare Partners (Deckerville Community Hospital, Marlette Regional Hospital and The Heartlands Marlette Senior Living) have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to combine organizations. Together, we plan to improve the delivery of care to the communities we serve.
Healthcare has evolved since we first opened our doors, and today’s healthcare landscape looks very different than it did five years ago before the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the fast pace of change and innovation in the healthcare industry, as well as the financial and operational headwinds that as healthcare providers we all face, we must also evolve to continue to meet the needs of our community for the long-term.
For example, for the last five years, Hills & Dales Healthcare and the providers across United Healthcare Partners have been a part of the Covenant Regional Thumb Network (CRTN) which focuses on making extraordinary care available to communities throughout the Thumb.
Our aligned missions and long-term vision to keep care local, as well as our shared identity as Critical Access Hospitals, make combining our organizations a natural next step in our work together.
Who We Are
Hills & Dales Healthcare
Hills & Dales Healthcare is a 501c3 non-profit corporation with a 25-bed critical access hospital, urgent care, two rehabilitation centers, a retail pharmacy, an assisted living memory care facility, and clinics in Caro, Ubly, Cass City, Kingston, and Bad Axe, Michigan, offering a full-range of quality inpatient and outpatient health services. Hills & Dales General Hospital was named one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals for 2023. Click for more information.
Marlette Regional Hospital
Marlette Regional Hospital is a 501c3 non-profit corporation, operating a 25-bed critical access hospital, an attached 39-bed skilled nursing facility, independent living facility along with clinics in Marlette, Brown City, North Branch, Kingston, and Mayville. Marlette Regional Hospital houses the CRTN Cancer Center. Click for more information.
Deckerville Community Hospital
Deckerville Community Hospital has served the community for over 70 years and has been a certified critical access hospital for 22 years. As a non-profit 501c3 corporation, they offer many patient services, including laboratory, inpatient services, medical imaging, and more. Click for more information.
The Heartlands
The Heartlands opened in 2023 as a 501c3 non-profit senior living community located in Marlette. It features 20 independent living villas, 20 assisted living apartments, and 12 memory care apartments. There is an attached community center, fitness center, on-site clinical services, salon, media center and chapel, along with daily life enrichment and activities. Click for more information.
What’s Next
While signing the LOI is an important milestone, there is still much work to be done to become one unified health system. The organizations are currently in a period of mutual due diligence to fully determine the details of a final agreement. Pending further Board approvals and standard state and federal regulatory review, they hope to finalize an agreement that will combine the organizations early next year.
In the meantime, current daily operations are unchanged at the organizations and patients should continue to visit their providers, clinics and facilities as they always have.