SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 16, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Intermountain Healthcare and SCL Health have signed a letter of intent to merge and create a system that provides care to more patients and communities in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, and Kansas.
Upon completion of the merger, the combined system will employ more than 58,000 caregivers and operate 33 hospitals, said a news release from Intermountain Healthcare. It will run 385 clinics across six states and provide health insurance to about one million people. Intermountain and SCL Health currently provide services in adjacent areas with no geographic overlap.
“We’re excited to merge with SCL Health to usher in a new frontier for the health of communities throughout the Intermountain West and beyond,” said Marc Harrison, MD, president and CEO of Intermountain. “American healthcare needs to accelerate the evolution toward population health and value, and this merger will swiftly advance that cause across a broader geography. We’ll bring together the best practices of both organizations to do even more to enhance clinical excellence, transform the patient experience, and support healthy lives.”
Lydia Jumonville, president and CEO of SCL Health added: “SCL Health and Intermountain are pursuing our merger from positions of strength. We are two individually strong health systems that are seeking to increase care quality, accessibility, and affordability. We will advance our missions and better serve the entire region together.”
The merged health system will be headquartered in Salt Lake City, with a regional office in Broomfield, Colorado. Harrison owill serve as the president and CEO of the merged organization. Jumonville will remain in her current role during a two-year integration and serve as a board member on a new combined board to ensure the integration of the two systems. The newly integrated Board of Trustees and leadership team will be selected from both systems.
Under the letter of intent, while the organization will be named Intermountain Healthcare, SCL Health’s Catholic hospitals will retain their distinctive Catholic names and continue to operate according to existing practices. In addition to seven Catholic hospitals, SCL Health operates one secular hospital in Colorado.
The intention is that a definitive agreement will be finalized and signed by the end of 2021. The merger of the two companies is expected to close in early 2022, pending all approvals.
