Lakeland HealthCare and Watervliet Community Hospital talk merger
Lakeland HealthCare of St. Joseph and Watervliet’s Community Hospital are discussing a merger.
The move comes after Community Hospital’s board decided earlier this year to seek a financial partner in light of a decline in patients, shrinking reimbursements and a rising number of uninsured patients. Community Hospital put out a request for proposals from interested parties and Lakeland responded.
Ray Cruse, CEO, Community Hospital Watervliet, calls Lakeland “a partner with the resources, stability, and expertise to help us grow and ensure the continued presence of a strong health care provider in the Tri-Cities area.”
By working together, Lakeland HealthCare and Community Hospital Watervliet expect to be better prepared to serve the community as the health care industry changes.
Loren B. Hamel, MD, President and CEO, Lakeland HealthCare, says the two organizations share similar missions that lend themselves to collaboration.
The integration timeline for the two organizations is expected to be complete within the next 60 to 90 days.
Aligning with Lakeland will allow Community Hospital to provide patient care in a way that would not be possible were it a stand alone provider, says Joseph Barrett, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Community Hospital Watervliet.
Lakeland HealthCare is a non-profit, community-owned health system, which includes three hospitals, an outpatient surgery center, rehabilitation, long-term care, and home care services.
Lakeland has more than 3,500 associates who provide clinical and support services at locations throughout Southwest Michigan.
The nonprofit Community Hospital Watervliet, founded in 1949, is a 58-bed, acute-care facility. Community Hospital Watervliet has over 275 associates and partners with 90 primary and specialty care physicians. Its services include emergency care, acute and outpatient rehabilitation, orthopedics, radiology, laboratory, and inpatient and outpatient surgery.
Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Ray Cruse, Community Hospital Watervliet
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