Three healthcare providers take control of Unity Hospital

MISHAWAKA, Ind. - Three healthcare providers in Michiana are banding together to take control of unity hospital in Mishawaka.

The hospital, officials say, has been underutilized and this way, they will be able to add services and decrease costs for patients.

South Bend Clinic, Allied Physicians of Michiana and South Bend Orthopedics came together to purchase a majority interest in Unity Hospital in Mishawaka.

“We believe that in that setting, we can provide really great care at a lower cost than other area hospitals so that would be the intent of the work,” Kelly Macken-Marble, the CEO of the South Bend Clinic said.

The organizations have been trying to reduce health care costs for the community for a while and when the unity opportunity came, Macken-Marble, said they were excited to take it.

“I think unfortunately unity hospital has been underutilized over the last few years. Some misunderstanding with what services are available at unity,” Macken-Marble said.

Unity hospital has 29 beds, 4 OR’s and 2 procedure rooms.

She said that in the past the hospital provided orthopedic and spine surgeries but they will be bringing more services to the hospital in the future.

“Other services like general surgery services, GYN services, EMT services, those kinds of services,” she said. “I think the impact on the community is, this is another option, in-patient care option for them to choose from.”

When it comes to wait times, she said this will help.

“We expect to be able to get patients in quickly for surgical procedures that they need to have done and should reduce wait times.”

Between the three organizations, they have about 200 clinicians in the community who will now be able to work at unity after getting credentials to provide care there.

When it comes to the staff already working at the hospital, she said nothing will change.

“There’s a great team at unity already providing great care. We expect and hope that they are going to stay there and they’re just going to be a whole lot busier,” she said.