St. Francis and Shakopee Mdewakanton Announce Health Care Partnership

The and  today announced a formal partnership to share resources to improve healthcare in the area.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreement was signed May 17 by SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks and St. Francis President Mike Baumgartner. 

“The goal of the agreement is to foster a relationship between us to share and maximize resources for the betterment of our members and employees,” Crooks said. 

For years, SMSC and St. Francis have been pursuing their missions and goals on separate, but yet often parallel paths, but only interacting and coordinating care on an intermittent and inconsistent basis as a need would arise. This has led to situations where patient care could have been better, according to a news release sent by SMSC.

The purpose of the MOU is to establish a working partnership of dialogue, coordination, collaboration, resource-sharing, and measurable results between the SMSC and St. Francis. 

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St. Francis Regional Medical Center President Michael Baumgartner said, “Our goal now is to work together more purposefully. We are proud to enter into this commitment, which will provide better and more efficient health care for the Community.”  

The SMSC provides health and wellness services for members and employees through its Shakopee Dakota Clinic, Shakopee Dakota Dental Clinic, Mystic Clinic, Wellness Center, Vision Clinic, Pharmacy, Mental Health Care Program, and Mobile Unit.

The SMSC continually reviews the scope of its health services to identify health needs that can best be met by SMSC and needs that can best be met through external resources and providers. 

St. Francis has a tradition of providing health care for the people living in Scott, Carver, and western Dakota counties. St. Francis also partners with Twin Cities-based Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Park Nicollet Health Services, and the Duluth-based Essentia Community Hospitals and Clinics.

In the MOU, SMSC and St. Francis agree to pursue these four mutual goals:     

• Develop a working partnership of dialogue, action, and measurable results between SMSC and St. Francis that harmonizes the many services provided by each entity.            
• Create a patient care navigation process for SMSC members that allows for seamless transitions between receiving care at St. Francis, SMSC facilities, and preferred providers.         
• Enhance the abilities of SMSC and St. Francis to provide high-value care by improving care outcomes and patient satisfaction while at the same time reducing overall health care costs.             
• Develop a network of preferred specialty care providers who are credentialed at St. Francis to be utilized by SMSC members. 

SMSC Family Nurse Practitioner Jane Peterson and Dr. Brian Prokosch of St. Francis are meeting regularly along with other staff to develop the relationship and implement the agreement. Initial steps already underway include cultural sensitivity training for St. Francis staff, integrating electronic medical records; coordinating a patient care navigator for Community member patients who sign up for this service; credentialing and privileges for the SMSC’s medical staff at St. Francis; and an inventory of services available at both facilities. 

In previous years, SMSC grants totaling $1,705,000 helped fund construction of a new emergency room for St. Francis and of a chapel and outdoor meditation area and Circle of Life Suites for hospice care for .