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THREE AREA HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS FORM THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COLLABORATIVE the formation of the Community Health Collaborative (CHC). This collab- orative was created to individually and collectively strengthen these hospital systems, and enable them to better meet the changes occurring in today's healthcare environment. As founding members of this collabora- E tive member organization, each healthcare system is able to remain a strong and independent force in their respective communities. CHC will provide member hospitals with higher levels of effi ciency and effectiveness by allowing them to work together to address some of the most important challenges faced by all healthcare providers today. "We can no longer operate in isola- tion and expect to retain the necessary MH HEALTHCARE , PARMA Community General Hospital and Southwest General Health System are pleased to announce strength required to meet our mission to our community," says Dr. Don Sheldon, president and CEO of EMH Healthcare. "This collaborative allows us to remain autonomous, remain responsive to our community, and to achieve the critical mass necessary for future success." The three systems have equal owner- ship and control of Community Health Collaborative, LLC, a newly formed for-profi t company. CHC serves as the base camp for the collaborative ventures of the three systems. Frank Lordeman, a veteran executive with considerable experience in the administration of large healthcare systems, is serving as the company's president and CEO. Opportunities are already being developed in the areas of information technology, supply chain management, and physician integration. Each system will continue to maintain existing relationships with other health- care entities. According to Terry Deis, president and CEO of Parma Community General Hospital, "This collaborative is not a replacement for existing relationships, and does not preclude the formation of new ones. It does, however, give us new and exciting opportunities to work together as healthcare systems which are similarly sized, similarly positioned and which face similar challenges." The focus of this new collaborative is not just to strengthen the hospital systems, but also to work with physicians and other providers throughout the region to assist them in strengthening their practices. Tom Selden, president and CEO of Southwest General, explains, "We know the strength of a hospital is closely tied to the strength of the physicians in its community. That is why we made sure our new organization was structured to not only help support these practitioners, but also to closely integrate them with our new collaborative." n DUNLAP, AULTMAN PLAN TO PARTNER O Dunlap Community Hospital 6 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton MD NEWS MDNEWS.COM SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 FFICIALS OF THE Orrville Hospital Foundation and Aultman Health Foundation announced today they have signed a letter of intent that would make Dunlap Community Hospital a subsidiary of the Canton-based health care system. Offi cials described the transaction as a "win-win" for both institu- tions and the communities they serve. Dr. Marchelle Suppan, Aultman Hospital president and CEO of Dunl ap Communi t y Ho s pi t a l , s a id he r boa rd had rev iewed various options to make su r e Dunl ap cou ld continue to fulf ill its mission of providing family- centered care and well- ness. A partnership with