Duke Health, LifePoint Form Community Hospital Joint Venture

LifePoint brings to the venture access to investment capital for new technology and facility renovations. Duke will help MPMC and other affiliated hospitals develop clinical services, support enhancing quality systems, and provide access to specialized medical services and best practices.

"Duke and LifePoint share a commitment to working collaboratively with communities, physicians and hospital staffs to optimize the availability of innovative healthcare services locally, while applying proven operational strategies that are more important than ever in the era of healthcare reform," said William J. Fulkerson, Jr., MD, executive vice president of Duke University Health System.

Jone L. Koford, president of strategic growth and development at LifePoint, said the "flexible affiliations" with other hospitals "really range from full acquisition, you could do a long-term lease of the facility, or a joint venture with the facility, like we are doing with Maria Parham."

There is no predetermined target number of hospitals that Duke/LifePoint would like to see in the partnership, Koford said. "The number of hospitals that we believe will want to consider partnership will need access to capital, will want operational expertise or resources they currently don't have, and would love to have the relationship with Duke and their reputation," she said.