The University of Louisville (Ky.) is making contingency plans to move several medical programs out of Louisville-based Jewish Hospital amid uncertainty about the hospital's future ownership, according to a WDRB news report.
Louisville-based KentuckyOne Health, the hospital's owner, revealed plans to sell Jewish Hospital in May 2017, citing "significant challenges" in the healthcare industry. In December 2017, the health system said it entered exclusive negotiations with BlueMountain Capital Management, a New York investment firm. However, the two parties have not reached an agreement.
The U of Louisville's academic affiliation agreement with KentuckyOne Health expires at the end of the year, and as ownership questions linger, the university said it doesn't expect to renew the deal. As a result, the university is planning to move six clinical programs housed at Jewish Hospital to different facilities.
The clinical programs that would move are cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, gastroenterology, neurosurgery, organ transplant, and physical medicine and rehabilitation.
"Given the current uncertainty around Jewish Hospital, we have begun a process of transitioning service lines to University of Louisville Hospital and elsewhere," said U of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi, adding that they are establishing an "operational transition plan."
There is no timeline for the moves, likely to face significant regulatory hurdles.