The Hospital Authority of Habersham County voted Tuesday to approve a plan for Habersham Medical Center (HMC) to support its emergency department and inpatient services through collaboration with Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC).

"We're excited about this move to improve how both hospitals work together to care for our mutual patients in the right place at the right time," says Lynn Boggs, HMC's chief executive officer. "This should assure anyone who currently travels to Gainesville for these services that they can receive high-quality care without leaving Habersham County."

Starting July 1, physician groups that currently provide emergency and inpatient care at NGMC Gainesville will extend their coverage to include HMC. In addition, both hospitals will work together to develop a leadership structure that supports the collaborative approach to care.

"These physicians and leaders will work collaboratively with HMC's current emergency and inpatient staff to share best practices that have been implemented at NGMC and help oversee other quality and care delivery measures," says Louis Smith, president of NGMC Gainesville.

"We see this as the next step in making HMC stronger through the ongoing conversations we've enjoyed with NGMC," says Boggs. "We look forward to exploring more ways we may partner in the future to improve the health of our community and our organization."

Both hospitals already participate in a "clinically integrated network" called HP2. The HP2 network is a group of insurers, hospitals and more than 480 providers from dozens of practices across northeast Georgia who work together to better coordinate patient care – with goals to improve quality, drive better outcomes and lower costs.