Superior Health Partners Officially Starts

For nearly 6 months now, Marquette County’s 2 hospitals have been working on a formal partnership.

Now it’s become official.

Superior health partners officially became a reality yesterday with Bell Hospital and Marquette General teaming up.

Superior Health Partners wants to change how the 2 hospitals bill patients from billing based on volume of procedures to basing it more on quality.

The group also thinks it can cut costs through purchasing in bulk.

Marquette General CEO Gary Muller is also serving Superior Health Partners in the same role.

He says between them, MGH and Bell buy $200 million worth of goods and services, and they’ll likely be able to track down greater discounts on those things as they work together.

MGH and Bell will be sharing resources to hopefully keep U.P. patients from leaving the region for care and grow the health care job market.

Gary Muller says there will be no job losses coming from this move.

As far as interest from other U.P. health systems, Muller says Superior Health Partners is talking with everyone.

He says he wouldn’t be surprised if other hospitals join in the coming months.