Maine health officials have approved the certificate of need between Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems in Brewer and Mercy Health System in Portland, thus finalizing the organizations' proposed affiliation.
Under the merger, Mercy and its other facilities will become part of EMHS, but it will retain its name. The religious-based Mercy will also follow all Catholic healthcare directives with support from EMHS, according to a news release.
All Mercy sites of care will transition to EMHS' electronic health record system, and the organizations will also work on implementing quality initiatives and establishing patient care coordination.
Mercy and EMHS signed a nonbinding letter of intent to affiliate in December 2012 and entered into a definitive agreement in January.
"This day caps months and months of tremendous work on the part of many individuals across our organization and the state," said Eileen Skinner, president and CEO of Mercy Health System, in the release. "As we knew at the outset and can repeat with certainty today, EMHS is the perfect match for Mercy Health System on every level. We are eager to move forward under the strong EMHS umbrella on behalf of our patients and community."
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