River Hospital and Upstate Medical University to pursue clinical affiliation

ALEXANDRIA BAY, NY – River Hospital in Alexandria Bay and Upstate Medical University in Syracuse announced today that they are pursuing a clinical affiliation.

The affiliation would include both institutions working together on numerous efforts aimed at developing clinical programs that promote prevention, wellness and continuity of care, throughout the River Communities.

“Upstate is pleased to be developing this relationship with River Hospital,” said Robert Corona, DO, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Upstate University Hospital. “As the region’s only academic medical center, Upstate stands ready to collaborate with River Hospital in meeting the needs of the patients and advancing healthcare delivery in the north country.”

River Hospital and Upstate have been working collaboratively to enhance service
delivery in the North Country for several years. This relationship has proven essential to Rivers’ expansion of critical services, such as telehealth and onsite specialty resources.

“Expanding our partnership with Upstate is a natural next step that furthers our
collective efforts toward sustainable, community based healthcare,” said River Hospitals Chief Executive Officer, Emily Mastaler, MA, MBA. “River is committed to cultivating partnerships that prioritize the provision of exceptional care in the communities in which our patients live. We are truly excited for this opportunity to partner with Upstate in a manner that makes that possible in new and creative ways.”

River Hospital’s affiliation agreement with Crouse Health expired as of December 12, 2019. River will continue its strong affiliation with Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center under the North Star Health Alliance, formed in 2015.

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About River Hospital:
River Hospital was designated as a Critical Access Hospital in 2003. Licensed for 15 acute care and 9 Swing beds, River Hospital operates an active Emergency Room, in addition to offering Primary Family Health Care, Behavioral Health, Laboratory, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Ambulatory Surgery and Radiology services. River Hospital continues to improve access to care while reducing the need to travel outside of the service area by offering a variety of specialty services.

About Upstate Medical University:
The region’s largest employer with more than 10,000 employees, Upstate Medical
University is the only academic medical center in Central New York, serving the state from Canada to Pennsylvania with its clinical, educational and research missions. A highlight of Upstate’s leading role in the region is its ability to ensure access to vital one- of-a-kind services, such as burn and trauma care and an array of highly specialized stroke, cancer and neurosurgical and pediatric services through its 715-bed Upstate University Hospital, which includes the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. In addition to its clinical mission, Upstate, enrolls 1,600 students and offers degrees in medicine, nursing and a variety of health professions, and conducts more than $30 million in funded research.