03/16/2023
Confused with your healthcare lately? There has been a lot of change and evolution in our St Croix Valley’s health care over the last years. I’ve seen a few posts: some helpful, some rumors, and some incorrect information. Thought I would try to help a little bit.
The new clinic in New Richmond is named New Richmond Medical Center which is where private practices of Hudson Physicians, Associated Eye, and Twin Cities Orthopedics are located next to Dairy Queen. Health Partners has the entire Westfields complex in New Richmond which is clinic, hospital, cancer center, and rehab all branded Health Partners. Both are excellent options for your care.
In Hudson, most of the private practices are in the new Hudson Medical Center (Hudson Physicians, TCO, Associated Eye, MN Oncology, Tareen Dermatology, etc) which is near Target and Walgreens. Health Partners is the Hudson Hospital complex with most everything there now specifically being Health Partners health system. Hudson Physicians previously leased their clinic space from Health Partners in Hudson until moving to the new building. People often considered everything there to be Health Partners when it wasn’t. Now that will be easier to understand with 2 separate locations.
Health Partners medical insurance is accepted in the top tier at all the mentioned facilities and clinics. It is great insurance comparatively. If you have Health Partners medical insurance as I have had previously, you can choose the doctor you want to see (for the most part) and they Don’t have to be a Health Partners employed provider. You will want to check if they are in your network before proceeding but most all doctors and facilities in the area will accept Health Partners medical insurance and many will be in your top tier of choices. So go to the doc that’s best for you and your family.
There has been multiple excellent Health System doctors decide their previous health system wasn’t where they could perform best and be happy practicing medicine. At least 3 docs that left a health system and returned to private practice were previously in private practice with WWMA a medium sized group of the clinics from Hudson, New Richmond, and River Falls, before the 2 of the small groups sold to the health systems. Many doctors like the heavy administrative structure and support of a health system. Then there are those docs whom feel the original method of private practice enables them to provide better care delivery. Some of this is preference, autonomy, admin related, Electronic Record systems, support staff models, etc. Each provider has to sort out where they will best be able to help their patients.
We have great options in the St Croix Valley. As a disclaimer, I am a physician at Hudson Physicians in Hudson in the new building. I am past Chief of Staff at Health Partners Hudson Hospital. I still go to Hudson Hospital for procedures weekly. My partners do surgery and deliver babies in Health Partners facilities. We still work together every day with Health Partners. I will say that over time, health systems have been harder to “partner” with as a member of a Non-Health system group but we are still there providing our communities care together. One of the benefits I have enjoyed in private practice has been I have the freedom to help my patient find the best care the most effectively and efficiently because I work with everyone (Hudson Physicians, TCO, Health Partners, Mayo, M Health, Allina, and many smaller private practices).
Hopefully this helps shed light and calms some fears for those that need to know we still have excellent care and providers everywhere you look.
Electronic Medical Records, Insurance Companies, and the government regulations have dominated the physicians, nurses, and health care facilities over the last decade. A little more balance at the decision making table and keeping the patients care at the forefront of what’s being decided and the doctors/nurses ability optimized to deliver it would sure solve a lot of issues.
I welcome other healthcare professionals and administrators to comment or add to what I have shared. Hope this helps everyone and please try to keep comments positive or at least constructive. We often get carried away with negativity and that doesn’t help.
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