White Plains Hospital Petitions State for Independence

Officials from the White Plains Hospital Center hope to have their application to break away from the Stellaris Health Network approved sometime in the next 3 to 9 months.

Stellaris officials sent out a letter last month stating that White Plains Hospital Center, along with Lawrence Hospital Center in Bronxville; Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco; and Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow are leaving the network in order to become independent.

The hospitals filed the necessary paperwork to the state Department of Health the week of July 8.

“Stellaris and its member hospitals made this decision after a lengthy strategic review that evaluated a variety of alternatives to respond to a dynamic and ever more challenging healthcare environment,” the letter states. “Ultimately, Stellaris and the hospitals made the decision to provide each hospital with the most flexibility possible to respond to dramatic changes in the industry while still meeting the needs of the communities they serve.”

The White Plains Patch was unable to reach officials from the White Plains Hospital Wednesday.

Stellaris Network, which is based in Armonk, formed in 1996 under the name Health Star Network with a partnership between White Plains Hospital Center and Northern Westchester Hospital. The partnership was formed as a way to improve health quality and reduce costs, while maintaining local decision making.

Lawrence and Phelps hospitals joined the network in 1997. In 2000, the network sponsored the formation of an Emergency Medical Service, which provides municipal paramedic services to nearly one third of Westchester County.

The network changed its name to Stellaris in 2001.

If the dissolution is approved, Stellaris will still provided certain shared services, such as information technology, to the four hospitals. The dissolution also should not have an impact on patient services and health plans, according to Stellaris officials.

“We do not believe the transition will result in any loss of clinical services or physicians at

any of the hospitals,” officials stated. “In fact, patients should not notice any change in either the care that they receive from any of the four hospitals or the insurance plans that the hospitals and

their physicians accept today hospitals. Likewise, the hospitals and their physicians will continue participating in the same health plans for patients as they do today.”

As for Stellaris itself, officials said they do expect the organization to become ‘leaner’ since it will stop providing a number of services.

It is unclear if White Plains Hospital plans to join another network once it leaves Stellaris.