MARQUETTE -- Superior Health Partners, a partnership of U.P. hospitals working together to keep patients in Upper Michigan, announced on Thursday that they are adding new members.
The announcement was made at Blue Cross Blue Shield, in Marquette.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan will be joining the SHP, along with three new hospitals, including Portage Health of Hancock, Baraga County Memorial Hospital in L'Anse and Dickinson County Healthcare System of Iron Mountain.
Blue Cross entered into the new network due to the high cost of patients leaving the U.P. for medical care out of state and below the bridge.
The hospitals involved stated their participation in the partnership will help U.P. residents receive accessible, quality care instead of leaving the area for treatment.
"Independent organizations, as these ones all are, to actually work not independent, but like an integrated healthcare system to be able to to share healthcare information and to work with third party payers, I actually think it's a huge advantage for the whole region," said Baraga County Memorial CEO Tim Zwickey.
Marquette General Hospital and Bell Hospital formed the partnership to increase quality and accessibility of health care in the Upper Peninsula back in 2010.
We will have more information about this addition to the Superior Health Partners posted on the website later on Thursday, and also on the TV6 Early News at 6 p.m.
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