Intermountain Healthcare Signs Letter of Intent to Merge with SCL Health

Intermountain Healthcare and SCL Health have signed a letter of intent to merge their nonprofit organizations, creating a unified health system that aims to improve access to care across six states.

The new health system would consist of 33 hospitals and employ over 58,000 healthcare professionals. Intermountain and SCL Health’s combined forces would result in 385 clinics in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, Kansas, and Nevada.

“American healthcare needs to accelerate the evolution toward population health and value, and this merger will swiftly advance that cause across a broader geography, Marc Harrison, MD, president and chief executive officer of Intermountain, stated in the press release.

“We’ll bring together the best practices of both organizations to do even more to enhance clinical excellence, transform the patient experience, and support healthy lives.”

The two nonprofits share a goal of prioritizing the wellbeing of patients and providers as the healthcare industry continues to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new health system hopes to model a successful merge between a Catholic hospital, SCL Health, and a secular hospital, Intermountain. The merged organization will be called Intermountain Healthcare, but SCL Health’s seven hospitals will keep their Catholic names and operate in accordance with their existing practices, the press release noted. SCL Health also has a secular hospital located in Colorado.

“SCL Health and Intermountain are pursuing our merger from positions of strength,” Lydia Jumonville, president and chief executive officer of SCL, said in the press release. “We are two individually strong health systems that are seeking to increase care quality, accessibility, and affordability. We will advance our missions and better serve the entire region together.”

The two health systems each bring their own assets that will contribute to their efforts of providing affordable, quality care to their members. Intermountain boasts a value-based care model, a digital health platform, and an extensive telehealth network. SCL Health brings experience of successfully operating an integrated healthcare organization in multiple states.

The headquarters of the merged health system would be located in Salt Lake City, Utah and would have a regional office in Broomfield, Colorado, the press release noted.

If completed, Harrison would take on the role as president and chief executive officer of the new health system, while Jumonville would serve as a board member to oversee the integration of the two hospitals.

Intermountain and SCL Health expect to finalize and sign the agreement by the end of 2021. Pending approvals, the merger is expected to close in early 2022.

The merger announcement comes almost a year after Intermountain’s merger deal with Sanford Health fell through. After Sanford Health had a sudden change in leadership, the health system thought it best to focus its efforts internally rather than go forward with the merger.