Improved access to and quality of care are major drivers behind the formation of a new clinically integrated network involving 23 rural North Dakota hospitals.
The Rough Rider High-Value Network said Oct. 12 that the new alliance has been in the works for over a year. The network aims for best practices across all member hospitals to boost efficiency and improve the affordability of care for approximately 225,000 residents with a focus on value-based care.
"Interdependence drives independence," Ben Bucher, CEO of Towner County Medical Center in Cando, N.D., and chair of the Rough Rider HVN board, said in a news release. "The Rough Rider High-Value Network is built on the principle that independent rural hospitals can come together to meet these challenges and emerge stronger while remaining independent."
The network received state funding of $3.5 million to help facilitate the formation and operation of the Rough Rider network.