In December, Lehigh Valley Health Network and Jefferson Health Network of the Philadelphia region signed a non-binding letter of intent to combine. This was followed in May by a definitive agreement, and is now completed by an official combination, according to a press release from LVHN.
The plan for the merger is to create a leading health care delivery system along with a top-notch research university and expanded not-for-profit health plan.
The combined system will now comprise 32 hospitals and more than 700 health care sites throughout the Lehigh Valley, Greater Philadelphia region, and Southern New Jersey.
Jefferson’s CEO Joseph G. Cacchione, MD, will continue in the head role for the enterprise. Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, who had served as the President and CEO of LVHN for ten years, will become Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Officials from both systems will make up a new Board of Trustees.
Some have raised concerns about what this merger will mean for patient costs and LVHN’s approximately 20,000 employees.
According to the announcement regarding the combination’s completion, patients will continue seeing their current physicians and care teams. Updates will be given at a later time regarding additional offerings.
Both parties have expressed their wish to continue working as a world-class medical institution, and to provide access to care during the merge and beyond.
