More than three years after signing a letter of intent to merge, Jefferson Health and Einstein Healthcare Network have finalized the deal.
The combination of the Philadelphia-based organizations brings together two academic medical centers and creates an integrated 18-hospital system with more than 50 outpatient and urgent care locations.
"The culmination of the multiyear process of bringing two great organizations with more than 300 combined years of service, clinical excellence and academic expertise is not just a merger," said Stephen Klasko, MD, president of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health. "Einstein and the new Jefferson together represent an opportunity for the Philadelphia region to creatively construct a reimagining of healthcare, education, discovery, equity and innovation that will have national and international reverberations."
The merger had previously faced antitrust scrutiny and delays from legal challenges. In particular, both the Federal Trade Commission and Pennsylvania's attorney general sued the health systems in attempts to block the deal.
The FTC sued in February 2020, arguing that the combination of the two systems would reduce competition in both Philadelphia and Montgomery counties "to the detriment of patients." An appellate court denied the FTC's attempt to block the merger in December 2020, and the FTC officially dropped its challenge to the transaction in February 2021.
The Pennsylvania attorney general also dropped his opposition to the merger in January 2021 after the FTC lost its case.
Ken Levitan will continue serving as president and CEO of Einstein and add the role of executive vice president at Jefferson Health. In his new role, he will help guide the integration efforts.
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