St. Joseph Medical Center Seeking Partnership

Citing financial realities of the health care industry, is looking for a "strategic relationship" with other area health care providers.

The Towson hospital issued a request for proposals on Thursday. Interested organizations have 30 days to respond in writing.

“Health care in America is changing,” Charles W. Neumann, the Towson hospital's CEO, said in a news release.  “Nowhere is that more evident than in the health care community with an increased number of provider alternatives, a range of physician employment initiatives, and declining state and federal reimbursement. 

"The RFP is an innovative approach to managing our future by focusing on strengthening quality, enhancing services, and providing cost effective care.”

Once the proposals are recieved, the hospital's board will review them, a process that could take six to 12 months.

The hospital is a subsidiary of Colorado-based Catholic Health Initiatives, but it's the only CHI hospital in Maryland. According to the release, requests were sent to a "select group of Maryland health care systems."

Hospital spokeswoman Vivienne Stearns-Elliott declined to elaborate, citing confidentiality.

However, she compared the sort of arrangement the hospital was looking for to Baltimore-area groups such as MedStar Health and LifeBridge Health, that act as regional cooperatives and help lower operating costs.

The hospital, however, is only looking for a "strategic relationship," not a merger partner.

"We are not for sale," Stearns-Elliott said.

The hospital has been through rough times in recent years, including and a after a cardiologist, Dr. Mark Midei, was found to have overused stents was also found to have a close relationship with a leading medical device manufacturer. Midei later for defamation. In July  Neumann was in August after Jeffrey K. Norman in July.