A Message from Mr. Lloyd

Continue reading for anticipated frequently asked questions for staff members. For the full announcement press release and patient FAQs, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for being such an important part of this new chapter for UK St. Claire. We are all in this together. Your hard work and dedication to patient care, along with the resources available through our choice of UK HealthCare as a partner, will allow us to continue to positively impact our region for decades to come.

We value your questions and concerns. It’s our goal to share as much information as we have available at this point in the process. On this page you will find answers to what we anticipate will be your most frequent and urgent questions. We will continually update this page as more information is available or other questions arise. Thank you for your commitment to the people we serve!

EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND BENEFITS

Is my job at risk?

St. Claire HealthCare and UK HealthCare are committed to patient care, community support, and the growth and development of our employees. No changes to job responsibilities, staffing, or management are anticipated at this time for employees in good standing.

Will I retain my original St. Claire’s date of hire?

Current employees will retain their original date of hire with St. Claire HealthCare.

Will my benefits or pay change?

St. Claire HealthCare and UK HealthCare are committed to patient care, community support, and the growth and development of our employees. No changes to benefits or compensation are anticipated at this time.

Will there be an opportunity to job share between UK St. Claire and our sister facilities?

The focus as we begin this process of assimilating into the UK HealthCare system is on the quality of care for our patients. Conversations such as this will be considered at a later date.

Will the pension plan change for UK St. Claire employees?

Current 401k and 4013b pension plans will remain intact. Since government entities are prohibited from participating in the 457 pension plan, we will work with the individuals impacted to come to a mutually beneficial solution. Employees of St. Claire HealthCare will not get the UK state pension plan.

What about Contract Renewals?

Contract renewals will continue to be managed in-house and all contracts have now been accepted and absorbed. Please note that in the future, forms and documentation may look different in order to support the needs of staff.

Will there be changes to payroll?

During the initial stages of this transition, there will be no changes to the payroll process and no negative payroll changes to employees in good standing.

Will we move to UK’s employee health plan and what will happen to our discounted health services through St. Claire’s current plan?

Though no changes are happening soon, we eventually plan to create an integrated employee health plan as UK St. Claire where everyone has the same costs and access to savings.

Will we get UK tuition benefits? Will our tuition assistance program change?

St. Claire HealthCare is proud to invest in employee education. We want to enhance our current program benefits by integrating that with UK, while also offering access to educational opportunities closer to home. More information will be provided as we work out the details of this exciting aspect of this partnership!

Will OTO be effected?

Tenure at St. Claire will transfer to UK St. Claire and OTO (Open Time Off) time and policies will not change.

Will overtime be going away? Will we lose our compensation and premium?

Our current overtime and compensation policies will remain in place for now. We will evaluate our practices and make sure they are fair and efficient, but we do not plan to make any changes that would negatively impact our employees.

Is UK a second-chance employer like St. Claire and will that hiring program continue?

Yes! In fact, UK has expressed a desire to adopt elements of our program to enhance their campus hiring program.

Will UK St. Claire offer childcare for children of staff?

We are considering solutions for this need. Prior to the pandemic, there were 11 daycare centers in Rowan County. Now there are 4 and they are expensive due to rising costs and staffing shortages. Tentative plans include working with some businesses in town to potentially share costs to make it more affordable and accessible. We will share information about this possible program as it becomes available.

OPERATIONS

Will this have any effect on referrals and existing relationships with specialists?

UK HealthCare was chosen as the best fit to help us continue providing the best care for our patients. For years, St. Claire HealthCare has been a defined affiliate partner with UK HealthCare through the UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute Affiliate Network (GAN), the UK Stroke Network, and numerous additional comprehensive clinical affiliations, including UK Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Markey Cancer Center, which recently received a prestigious Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). With patient care at the forefront of our decision to expand this existing partnership, we believe access to more specialty and subspecialty areas, research, and the latest medical technologies will benefit the providers, patients, their families, and the communities we serve.

Will this change decision autonomy or administrative processes for providers?

No changes to management or administrative processes are anticipated at this time. UK HealthCare has been a part of the St. Claire HealthCare legacy of care for this region for decades. We electively expanded our partnership with UK because it will offer providers increased access to consultation with specialists and the latest technologies and expanded research in many clinical areas.

Will there be significant changes to our method/system of documentation and/or patient record keeping?

St. Claire HealthCare and UK HealthCare strive to maintain the highest level of care for patients and their families. In order to continue to provide excellent healthcare for the region, we will continue to encourage best practices in all areas of care, with an even greater emphasis on providing highly reliable and evidence-based care. We do anticipate changes to some internal systems, and we will ensure the involvement of staff in the communication and implementation of these changes.

Will UK St. Claire transition to Epic Software?

The entire UK healthcare enterprise will use the Epic software system. However, this migration will not occur on day one. In order to keep operations moving forward, we will continue to use our current system, but we will begin to discuss transition to the Epic system. Transition teams are being established in order to begin working through details. Employees will be an integral part of these transition teams and their feedback will be actively considered throughout this process. Using a common, comprehensive system will ensure effective communication in order to best support patient well-being and the highest-quality care.

What will happen to our mission since all decisions are made based on the mission?

The spirit and the intent of our collective mission will not change, though there may be modification to the theological portion. Our mission has always been to support the quality and health of our community, utilizing our resources responsibly, with a spirit of cooperation and excellence among staff in order to treat each patient with dignity and compassion. After a side-by-side comparison to that of UK HealthCare, our stated mission aligns absolutely with their demonstrated values, as they seek to provide high-quality care, supporting the marginalized and creating human flourishing clinically, socially and economically throughout the Commonwealth.

What will happen to the existing Board of Directors?

Starting July 1, 2024, a new board of directors, comprising 10 members, will be instated. This marks a significant milestone in our journey, yet it's worth noting that many of the board members transitioning to the inaugural community arm of the UK St. Claire board have been actively involved in serving our community for several years. Bill Redwine will continue his role as the chair of the new board, with John Northcut, Dr. Parker Banks, and Shelly Irvine joining him. Additionally, several leaders, physicians, and four community representatives from our existing board will also make the transition. Moving forward, measures have been put in place to ensure both local and medical representation on the board. UK HealthCare has approved all nominations made by our current board, signaling a strong spirit of cooperation.

What will happen to the affiliation with the Sisters of Notre Dame?

The Sisters of Notre Dame National Ministry Corporation will relinquish its corporate membership of St. Claire to the University of Kentucky. However, the Sisters will remain in the community and continue serving the people of Northeastern Kentucky through their newly established independent charitable foundation.

When I call UK St. Claire, will I be speaking with someone at the Morehead location, or will that be contracted out?

This service will remain in-house. We will continue providing excellent customer service locally as long as it remains in the best interest of the patients we serve.

St. Claire HealthCare is a nonprofit organization. Will UK St. Claire still be a nonprofit?

Yes, we will remain a non-profit organization. UK HealthCare and King’s Daughters are both non-profit organizations as well. Our tax-identification number will remain the same. The only adjustments to our organizational structure will be with the composition of our board members.

Will food services be contracted through UK?

St. Claire and UK HealthCare will keep operations as similar as possible as long as they are effective and meet staff and patient satisfaction criteria. This includes food services. Determinations for adjustments and improvements will be made where it is appropriate and with full knowledge of patients and staff.

Some of our service areas overlap with King’s Daughters. Will we be scaling back in those areas?

No changes will be made at this time. As we move forward in this process, we will consider the best use of resources and capacity of both institutions and collaborate to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for our patients.

Will we need to get different scrubs to match UK's colors?

We have no plans to change the dress code at this time.

FACILITIES

Will we have to pay for parking?

There are no immediate plans to begin charging for parking at UK St. Claire.

How will you address limited parking as we increase staff and patients

We understand that parking may present a challenge temporarily, especially as future construction and renovations begin. Rest assured, we will address this issue with the new facility.

Are details about the new hospital location available?

We do not have specific details available yet, however our intention is to make the best decision possible for Morehead, Rowan County, and most importantly, the UK St. Claire staff and patients we serve.

Once new infrastructure is in place, what happens to current infrastructure?

Since our last master facilities plan three years ago, we have experienced a period of hyperinflation causing building prices to spike significantly. As a result, you can expect a blend of new build and rehabilitation of our current facilities for now. We will carefully consider the most efficient and effective way to make the current campus more functional, updated and aesthetically-pleasing. It will take a few years to plan for new infrastructure facilities, including a new medical education campus, and a few years to complete those builds.

EXPANSION OF SERVICES

Will this have a positive impact on what our patients can afford, especially those with medicare/medicaid?

Yes! Since we will be able to share resources with UK HealthCare, future increases will be better contained and potential cost savings will be available. We already know we will have more options to better treat behavioral health needs and women and children specialities. All insurance programs we participate in will continue. Many of our patients are seniors, experience financial hardships and/or disabilities. We have always been called to serve everyone in our community and we will continue to do so. We do not deny services to anyone based on their ability to pay and neither does UK HealthCare. In addition, the UK “charity care” policy will be adopted to help our patients in the future. For more information about this financial assistance program, visit https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/patients-visitors/patients/payment-insurance/financial-assistance

What does the expansion of services and a new facility look like for UK St. Claire?

UK HealthCare is highly incentivized to continue to develop enhanced services here in Northeastern Kentucky. Planning for growth and development takes time and consideration. We commit to being good stewards of our resources and we will be as transparent as we can with facility planning announcements. We appreciate your patience as we continue ironing out plans that will benefit our region for many years to come.

What does the relationship look like in the future for inpatient rehabilitation, home health and hospice services?

These services are incredibly important for the overall well-being of the people in Northeastern Kentucky. We are diligently working with UK HealthCare to establish the future for post-acute care services. Historically, UK has contracted out post-acute care. This will be the first time they own this service, so it is likely they will want to remain heavily involved in its establishment and growth. They are excited by the services we offer at SCH and how we meet patients' needs. UK St. Claire will be at the forefront of their expansion of this program throughout the state. As always, when more information becomes available we will share it with our staff and patients.

How will pharmacy services at UK St. Claire be impacted by the partnership?

UK HealthCare is nationally recognized for their expertise in integrating various governmental pharmaceutical assistance programs, such as the 340B program. We were drawn to this opportunity in order to maximize the access and affordability of pharmaceutical care while also providing funds to help subsidize educational programs locally.

Will we get a pediatric unit?

Hospital admission rates have dropped significantly for children. Most treatment needs are addressed with ambulatory services. However, we will continue to assess the need in the community and make decisions based on that data. We will keep OB (Obstetrics) and perhaps add a nursery, but likely not a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) as we build new infrastructure.

Will UK St. Claire provide tubal ligations and vasectomies moving forward?

From the beginning, the process of expanding this partnership has been intentional and considered. No decisions have been, nor will be, made in haste. UK HealthCare has agreed to honor ethical and religious directives that we have in place at our current facilities, and future decisions will be handled with the utmost care and consideration for our patients and our community.

Will we increase trauma care?

We are already handling an increased number of trauma cases. Transfer rates to other trauma centers have dropped by 62% in recent years. We recently applied for level 4 trauma designation and will likely move up to level 3 soon after. We are in the process of adding more specialists, and plan to hire physicians trained in trauma response/care. We will use resources to continue to grow the specialty and subspecialty services that will make the level 3 designation possible.

Have additional questions? Submit them to the HR Comment box here.