Warren General Hospital announced that an agreement in principle has been reached with Highmark Health, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and LECOM Health to establish an affiliation that will further enhance access to high-quality, high value health services in the communities of the Warren and surrounding regions.
In this tentative agreement, Warren General Hospital will provide a membership interest to AHN and LECOM Health. The organizations expect to execute definitive agreements and secure regulatory approvals for their affiliation by the first quarter of 2018. Upon closing of the deal, Warren General will partner with AHN, Highmark Health and LECOM Health to further strengthen and expand the quality and scope of medical care it offers to the region.
“Today is an exciting new day for Warren General and our hundreds of dedicated and talented caregivers,” said Rick Allen, President and CEO of Warren General Hospital. “With our determination to remain independent, our Board of Directors and Executive Team deliberated long and hard about the right future course for the Hospital, and we are thrilled to be moving forward in partnership with organizations that share our values and commitment to excellence in patient care and community focused service.”
“In AHN, Highmark Health and Warren General, we have found ideal partners who are committed to the highest standards of clinical care and medical education,” said John Ferretti, DO, President and CEO of LECOM Health. “With this affiliation, our medical students will have another outstanding clinical environment in which to learn and contribute to the overall health and well-being of our region.”
Warren General will join AHN’s Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie and Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, PA as one of LECOM Health’s affiliated clinical campuses.
Since 2016, Warren General’s obstetrics program has been staffed by physicians from Saint Vincent. As part of the new affiliation agreement, the hospital will move to AHN-affiliated clinical support for emergency and hospitalist care as well. Warren General physicians also will join AHN’s clinically integrated network to participate in new clinical pathways and value based reimbursement models.
Warren General will also receive support from AHN, Highmark Inc., and LECOM Health for capital investments and for community health reinvestment projects.
“Improving the health of individuals and communities through integrated financing and delivery, medical education and research is at the core of our mission,” said David Holmberg, President and CEO of Highmark Health. “Together with LECOM Health and Warren General, we will transform health care around value and establish a network of care and coverage for our customers, members and patients in northwestern PA that is unsurpassed in the experience, outcomes and affordability that it provides.”
AHN and Highmark Health have long track records of supporting community hospitals in innovative ways to help them thrive and maintain their independence. AHN currently collaborates with more than 30 independent hospitals in the western Pennsylvania region to help them meet the needs of their patients close-to-home.
“For more than a century, the people of Warren County and neighboring communities have benefited from the outstanding care and compassion provided by the employees and volunteers of this wonderful hospital,” said Cynthia Hundorfean, President and CEO of AHN. “At Highmark Health and AHN, we recognize and embrace the critical importance of independent community hospitals and the vital role they play in a value-based health care system. We look forward to working with Warren General in every way we can to help further its mission.”
###
About Warren General Hospital
Founded in 1900, Warren General is an 89-bed community hospital that offers a wide range of clinical services, from primary and emergency care to cancer care, orthopedic, general surgery, renal care, comprehensive rehabilitation services, psychiatric and detoxification care, maternal-child health, transitional care and home health services, among other programs. To learn more please visit www.wgh.org
About Highmark Health
Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh, PA based enterprise that employs more than 40,000 people nationwide and serves nearly 50 million Americans in all 50 states, is the second largest integrated health care delivery and financing network in the nation based on revenue. Highmark Health is the parent company of Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, and HM Health Solutions. Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates provide health insurance to more than 5 million members in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware as well as dental insurance, vision care and related health products through a national network of diversified businesses that include United Concordia Companies, HM Insurance Group, Davis Vision and Visionworks. Allegheny Health Network is the parent company of an integrated delivery network that includes eight hospitals, more than 2,800 affiliated physicians, ambulatory surgery centers, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, a group purchasing organization, and health and wellness pavilions in western Pennsylvania. HM Health Solutions focuses on meeting the information technology platform and other business needs of the Highmark Health enterprise as well as unaffiliated health insurance plans by providing proven business processes, expert knowledge and integrated cloud-based platforms. To learn more, please visit www.highmarkhealth.org.
About LECOM Health
LECOM Health is an integrated, comprehensive academic health center that is dedicated to healthcare education, whole person lifelong patient care, and has a deep commitment to enhance the health of its community through service, promotion of clinical innovation, and research. It includes the nation’s largest medical school, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) with more than 4100 students and 10,000 alumni; Millcreek Community Hospital, a 218-bed acute care hospital offering comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services and 24-hour emergency care; and the Medical Associates of Erie with more than 22 clinical practice and 74 physicians at 18 locations. Other LECOM Health partners include Corry Memorial Hospital, the LECOM John M. and Silvia Ferretti Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, the LECOM Senior Living Center, LifeWorks Erie, The Visiting Nurse Association of Erie County, LECOM Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the Parkside and Regency independent living communities. LECOM Health employs 2743 individuals. For more information, visit LECOMHealth.com.
About the Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Health Network (www.AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated health care delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of eight hospitals, including Allegheny General Hospital, its flagship academic medical center in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh and Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women’s health, diabetes and more. It also is home to a comprehensive research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; an employed physician organization, home and community based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 18,000 people, has more than 2,400 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.