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UMass Memorial, Harrington Healthcare Reveal Hospital Merger Plan
Other recent hospital merger and acquisition activity included the close of the OSF Healthcare-Little Company deal, the sale of ProMedica hospital, and the opening of a new emergency facility for Baptist Health Hospital.
According to a new announcement, Harrington Health is currently negotiating a hospital merger deal with UMass Memorial. The Massachusetts-based health system voted to formally enter into a letter of intent with UMass Memorial Healthcare to pursue an acquisition agreement.
If accepted, Harrington would become a member hospital within UMass Memorial HealthCare, joining UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton, UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital, and UMass Memorial Medical Center.
The two organizations stated that the main priority for the merger is quality affordable care, the health of the community, financial viability, investments in infrastructure, and continued employment.
The announcement highlighted that the acquisition would allow the Harrington community to better access to capital service improvements, access to community-based care, and advanced health information technology to utilize health data for accountable care and other risk and population-based arrangements that aim to improve quality of care and lower costs.
The final approval is expected to take six to nine months.
OSF Healthcare and Little Company of Mary Set to Compete Merger
The merger, announced last year, stated that OSF Healthcare is expected to take over Little Company of Mary (LCMH) on Saturday, February 1. The new system will be known as OSF Healthcare Little Company of Mary Medical Center.
“We were fortunate enough to have choices,” said John Hanlon, CEO of LCMH. “We chose to go with OSF because of the cultural fit of the organization. They are committed to Catholic healthcare.”
OSF currently has 126 locations including 13 hospitals and two colleges of nursing, while Little Company of Mary has 12 locations throughout the Southwest Side.
Employees will use a new EHR system called Epic, and the emergency department will be operated by 14 new physicians from the University of Illinois.
The merger allows OSF and Little Company of Mary to share quality of care initiatives and expand academic partnerships, the article added.
A special announcement is set to be released today to officially welcome OSF Little Company Merger into the OSF family.
Baptist Health and Emerus Open New Emergency Hospital
After a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony that took place on January 23, Baptist Emergency Hospital at Kelly in San Antonio is now open.
The nearly 18,000-square-foot micro-hospital is being built through the Baptist Health and Emerus Holdings partnership.
It will be staffed with emergency medicine physicians, experienced nurses, and clinical specialists dedicated to providing the same level of value-based care, the announcement stated. And it will operate 24 hours a day, 365-days-a-year.
"We will be making a donation to the community’s college scholarship fund, which supports local students as they reach to achieve their educational goals,” said Craig Goguen, CEO of Emerus.
In addition, the facility will be fully licensed, CMS-accredited, and in-network with most commercial providers.
ProMedica Healthcare Puts Coldwater Regional Hospital Up for Sale
Out of the 13 hospitals that ProMedica owns, the organization has initiated steps to sell Coldwater Regional Hospital in Coldwater, Michigan.
The healthcare provider became the sole member of Coldwater Hospital Corporation on January 1, 2018, and was previously Community Health Center of Branch County. It also has financial distinction that sets it apart from ProMedica’s other hospitals.
The reason for the sale is due to possible benefits from being aligned with a system closer to it. Coldwater is nearly 20 miles from Angola, Indiana.
“Currently, we are in the process of evaluating possible options to determine which, if any, could best meet the needs of the hospital and community,” Tausha Moore, Coldwater Regional Hospital spokesperson said in the announcement. “During this phase, ProMedica will continue to fully support the hospital as it continues to deliver clinical excellence and compassionate care in the Coldwater community.”
