St. Luke’s Hospital Officially Becomes Member of ProMedica Health System

MAUMEE, OH–(Marketwire – September 1, 2010) –  After completing several months of rigorous due diligence following the signing of a definitive agreement to bring the two organizations together, the transaction is now complete and St. Luke’s Hospital has officially become a member of ProMedica Health System.

“We are thrilled that St. Luke’s has joined ProMedica,” says Randy Oostra, President and CEO of ProMedica. “Both organizations are dedicated to achieving the same overarching Mission: to improve the health of the people we serve. St. Luke’s joining ProMedica will help facilitate collaborative endeavors to better address critical health and social needs throughout the community. In the near term and for generations to come, it is imperative that organizations such as ours seek to achieve more effective and efficient clinical integration as we expand access to exceptional care.” 

“We have a promise at St. Luke’s — ‘Patients First. Always.’ Becoming a member of ProMedica allows us to continue to expand on that proud tradition of service and compassionate care,” says Dan Wakeman, President/CEO of St. Luke’s Hospital. “Both organizations have much to learn and share with each other. We each have unique and distinguishing characteristics, and as we join ProMedica we have the opportunity to find synergies and build on the strengths of both our cultures.”

The most visible initial change the community and employees will notice is that St. Luke’s will now be included in the Paramount Health Care network. As a result, Paramount members and ProMedica employees will have access to St. Luke’s services. In addition, St. Luke’s employees will have access to ProMedica services and facilities through Medical Mutual’s Ohio SuperMed Plus network. 

“The due diligence we have conducted over the last several months has been intense and detailed,” says Barbara Steele, President, Acute Care, ProMedica Health System. “Yet, in many ways, the work starts now as teams begin the process of analyzing which services should be integrated to achieve efficiencies.”

The goal of service line and clinical integration is to:

• provide convenient and easier access to programs and services;
• provide a comprehensive continuum of care;
• enhance the physician’s ability to care for patients and improve quality-of-life issues;
• look for opportunities to create “Best in Class” programs to better serve patients and communities; and
• evaluate ways to add value to existing services.

“Nationwide, resources are shrinking while the need for top-quality health care has never been higher,” says Oostra. “With St. Luke’s as a member of ProMedica, we will be better able to proactively provide more effective and efficient coordination of care — and that will position us ahead of the health care reform curve and help meet the critical needs of our communities.”

About St. Luke’s Hospital
Located in Maumee, St. Luke’s Hospital is a full-service community hospital. Each year, this non-profit health care organization cares for more than 235,000 patients. Its 1,500 employees and 600 physicians provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services including high-risk cardiac surgery, oncology, labor and delivery, medical/surgical, critical and emergency care.

St. Luke’s is the only hospital in northwest Ohio to be ISO 9001:2008 certified, representing a highly collaborative accrediting process that encourages innovation in health care. The hospital is regularly recognized by third-party quality ratings organizations that rank St. Luke’s within the top 10% of hospitals nationally, based on outcomes, cost and patient satisfaction. For more information, visit www.stlukeshospital.com

About ProMedica Health System
ProMedica Health System, a mission-based organization that is ranked among the Top 5 most integrated health systems in the U.S., was formed in 1986 and is a Toledo, Ohio-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization with nearly 15,000 employees; 2,900 physicians and more than 283 facilities in Ohio and Michigan. ProMedica serves more than 2.4 million patients annually and includes 10 hospitals; ProMedica Continuum Services with senior, hospice, rehabilitation, and integrative services; ProMedica Physician Group, a network of more than 300 primary care, obstetrics and specialist physicians; and Paramount Health Care, the largest HMO in northwest Ohio. For more information, please visit www.promedica.org.