Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center and Saratoga Hospital in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., finalized their affiliation agreement in the first week of 2017, reports Times Union.
Under the affiliation agreement, each entity will retain its own governing board. Officials from Saratoga Hospital said the organization plans to work closely with Albany Medical Center's other affiliated partner, Columbia Memorial Health in Hudson, N.Y.
Together, the three institutions aim to improve patient access and care coordination to area residents and possibly leverage their combined market share in negotiations with payers.
Albany Medical Center is a 734-bed hospital serving as the hub for Albany Med health system. Saratoga Hospital runs a nursing home, walk-in surgery center and physicians' offices. Columbia Memorial Health includes a hospital, nursing home and 26 medical offices in Columbia and Greene counties.