HaysMed, Gove County Medical Center Announce New Partnership to Strengthen Healthcare in Quinter & Beyond
HAYS, Kan. / QUINTER, Kan. (November 19, 2025) – Leaders at Hays Medical Center (HaysMed) and Gove County Medical Center (GCMC) are pleased to announce a formalized strategic partnership designed to strengthen rural healthcare delivery in Quinter and across Gove County. Today, the Board of Trustees at GCMC approved and signed the final partnership agreement, culminating a thoughtful process of due diligence and collaboration following the Letter of Intent signed in early 2025.
With this agreement now official, the transition is underway. The partnership will take effect in early 2026.
This new chapter builds on a long-standing alliance between the two hospitals. As an official partner hospital of HaysMed, GCMC will now be managed by HaysMed, enabling deeper alignment with the region’s only tertiary care center. The goal: to improve lives through shared resources, advanced technology, and expanded clinical services, all while preserving GCMC’s local leadership and community investment.
“This partnership reflects our mutual and unwavering commitment to keeping healthcare local, sustainable, and strong,” said Conner Fiscarelli, Chief Executive Officer at GCMC. “It’s a proactive step to ensure our patients, staff, and neighbors across the county continue to thrive in today’s challenging healthcare environment.”
Terry Ostmeyer, President of GCMC’s Board of Trustees, emphasized the importance of community-based oversight. “This is not a merger or acquisition,” he said. “Rather, it’s a collaborative affiliation model that strengthens our local mission while opening doors to broader capabilities. We are excited to deepen our long-standing relationship with HaysMed, an organization that shares our values and vision for advancing rural health in our community.”
Modeled after HaysMed’s successful partnership with Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned, this affiliation will allow GCMC to maintain its name, identity, and governing board while benefiting from access to resources typically not available to small rural hospitals.
In Kansas, nearly 60 percent of rural hospitals are at risk of closure, driven by workforce shortages, shrinking reimbursement rates, and rising operational costs. Many are being acquired by national health systems. GCMC, however, has chosen a different path — one that prioritizes local control, long-term stability, and high-quality care.
“As the healthcare landscape grows more complex, we believe in forming partnerships that keep care rooted in the community,” said Eddie Herrman, President and Chief Executive Officer at HaysMed. “Gove County Medical Center is a well-respected provider, and we’re honored to help support its growth and sustainability. This is rural health reimagined — collaborative, forward-looking, and focused on people.”
Benefits of the partnership for Gove County residents include:
- A shared, fully integrated electronic health record (EHR) system that enhances continuity of care and patient safety across care settings.
- Expanded access to on-site specialty care, with HaysMed specialists traveling to Gove County.
- Investment in infrastructure, clinical support, and workforce development, tailored to the needs of the community.
While HaysMed will provide operational leadership and integration support, GCMC will continue to be governed by its locally elected board of trustees. The hospital’s mission, values, and dedication to community-focused care remain unchanged.
Implementation efforts will continue throughout the winter, with regular updates planned to keep patients, staff, and community members informed at every stage. For more information and updates, visit gcmc.org/rural-health-reimagined.
About HaysMed
Hays Medical Center (HaysMed) is a private, not-for-profit, 200+ bed hospital providing the only tertiary-level services in the region. As the destination for rural health, HaysMed offers a wide variety of specialty programs including cardiology, orthopedics, cancer, surgery (general, minimally invasive and robotic), ENT, pulmonology, critical care and women’s services. HaysMed is a Level III Trauma Center and a certified Primary Stroke Center.
Other services include rehabilitation, hospice, neonatal, intensive care and diagnostic imaging, as well as a Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center and a Sleep and Neurodiagnostic Center. HaysMed is proud to be one of only 20 U.S. hospitals recognized by Vizient in 2023 as a Top Performer in the Complex Care Medical Center cohort. In 2024, HaysMed was named as one of the top 100 rural and community hospitals in the country by the National Rural Health Association and earned the prestigious five-star designation in the 2024 CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings. Learn more at haysmed.com.
About Gove County Medical Center
Gove County Medical Center (GCMC) has been serving the healthcare needs of northwest Kansas since 1925. As a critical access hospital in Quinter, Kansas, GCMC is dedicated to providing person-centered care to the residents of Gove County and surrounding areas. With a mission to enhance lives through the right care at the right time, close to home. GCMC offers services ranging from outpatient care to acute medical care services including 24/7 emergency care. Learn more at gcmc.org.
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