LAURIUM - In spring 2008, officials at Keweenaw Memorial Medical Center decided developing a working relationship with another health care organization would be in its best interest, and according to Bob Erickson, the organization chosen was the Wausau, Wis.-based Aspirus System.

Erickson, who is Aspirus' regional chief operating officer, said KMMC officials approached them about working together.

"They saw with the future of health care, and the way things were going, they needed a partner," Erickson said. "That process went pretty quickly."

Unlike the situation with Ontonagon Memorial Hospital, which Aspirus bought outright and has renamed Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital, Erickson said the Wisconsin company and Keweenaw Memorial Medical Center, now called Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital, have a working arrangement.

"In Keweenaw, we have a 50 percent partnership," Erickson said.

The hospital in Laurium has kept its administrative staff, Erickson said.

About the only change that will take place in the near future at Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital is an upgrading of information technology, Erickson said.

Chuck Nelson, Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital CEO, said hospital officials actually began thinking about establishing a working partnership in spring 2006 when they were reviewing their strategic plan.

"One of the elements of the plan was to create an affiliate with a larger organization," Nelson said.

A few organizations were considered before Aspirus was chosen, Nelson said.

"With Aspirus being a presence in Ontonagon (with Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital), we decided it was logical to draw them in," he said.

The official connection with Aspirus was made in July, Nelson said. The staff is mostly the same, but Aspirus helped AKH with recruiting new physicians.

"We've actually been able to get some results out of that," he said.

Having the buying power of the larger organization will help AKH with the IT changes they're planning, Nelson said.

"As an independent organization, we wouldn't have the opportunity to get access (to that kind of equipment)," he said.

One of the first IT changes that will be made is the establishment of a digital medical records system, Nelson said.

The partnership with Aspirus has been good for the hospital, Nelson said.

"It's been a very positive thing for our organization," he said. "It's been very positive for the community."

Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com.