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Unity Medical Center celebrated their partnership with Ascension Saint Thomas by holding a sign lighting ceremony in front of the hospital on Dec. 9.

Martha Henley, the CEO of Unity, remarked that the partnership marked “a special moment” for both the hospital and community.

“Tonight, we gather to celebrate a new chapter built on trust, collaboration and a shared commitment to the people that we serve,” she said. “Unity Medical Center was founded on the belief that rural communities deserve exceptional care close to home. Ascension Saint Thomas has a mission rooted in service, compassion and faith, and tonight, those missions meet.”

Henley stated that the alliance strengthens the hospital and expands access to vital services and ensures that “our community will have a stable, thriving hospital for generations to come.”

“I am honored to be here, and I am honored to be a part of this as we take the next step into the future,” she noted. “This has been an amazing journey so far, and I’m excited to watch it continue.”

Ascension Saint Thomas CEO Fahad Tahir recalled being at the hospital as they celebrated their 10-year anniversary earlier this year.

“What we celebrated then was hope, possibility and the act of trust that Unity Medical Center leadership and board had in Ascension Saint Thomas to be that partner to serve the community in new and different ways over time,” he said. “We’re so grateful for that.”

Tahir explained that the mission of the partnership is to bring services closer to home for the people of Manchester and Coffee County such as stroke and neurology care, cardiology services and behavioral health and psychiatry specialists.

He noted that all of those things happened because Unity was open to feedback.

“All of these things are happening every day because the Unity Medical Center leadership listened to physicians in the community and has identified where the priorities are,” he remarked. “We are committed to working together solve for those priorities and bring you services, so just as we started that journey, we’re adding more things as time goes on.”

Tahir said that not only was Ascension excited about the partnership, but that you can “feel the energy of the staff” and see the confidence of patients coming to the E.R. and the hospital.

“The average census in this hospital is almost double what it’s been because of the confidence of the community and believing Unity Medical Center and our commitment to helping you take care of those patients every day,” he explained. “That’s how this becomes real every day, every week, every month, every year so that over the next generation more people are served right here in the community and this facility.”

Unity Board Chairman Bappa Mukherji joked that he would keep his remarks short since he was the last speaker. He explained that while the sign itself may not be anything to celebrate, it’s a physical manifestation of the partnership.

“It’s a daily reminder to everyone who comes into this building of what the power of partnership, of community, of shared vision can do,” said Mukherji. “We knew who Saint Thomas was and the resource that they could bring and the power that they have in this marketplace, but what we did not count on was the incredible amount of passion and commitment they brought to our community.”

Mukherji emphasized that anytime Unity needs something from Ascension, they’re not just there to answer the phone.

“They’re there to say how can I lean in and help with what you are asking about, and that is the most special part,” he said. “That’s what really makes it a partnership and a relationship, and I want to say thank you for doing that because you never know when you get into a partnership what it’s really going to be. It has meant more than I thought it was going to.”