Why Change Is Necessary

Healthcare is changing more rapidly than ever before, making it increasingly difficult for smaller rural hospitals like Berger to effectively manage the health and wellness of the populations they serve without smart, forward-looking collaborations with other healthcare organizations.

Berger is strong, but we’re starting to see cracks in the stability of our organization. The age of our facilities is older than our peers.  Given our limited resources, recruitment and retention of clinical personnel (physicians, nurses, technologists and aides) remains challenging.  What’s more, we need to significantly improve our operating margin over the next five years to maintain financial viability.

As a municipally owned hospital – one of only two left in the state – closer alignment with a larger health system isn’t legally permitted. This need was a driving factor in our decision to seek a change in ownership structure, so we can more closely align with a larger health system in order to realize the healthcare future our patients and our community deserve.

With the flexibility afforded to us by Circleville voters to change our ownership structure, we can act purposefully to ensure Berger remains strong and our patients, families and community have access to high-quality care close to home for decades to come.

Aligning with a larger health system will give Berger access to the resources and support it needs to continue to meet the needs of our community and provide benefits such as: