Savannah, Ga.-based Memorial Health has agreed to enter into strategic partnership discussions with Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health, according to a Savannah Morning News report.
Here are four things to know about the discussions and potential partnership.
1. The potential partnership is intended to help Memorial maintain its mission as it deals with the changing economics of the healthcare industry.
2. A core element in the proposed partnership is to support Memorial's commitments to the Chatham County Commission, according to the report. That includes paying off $195 million in bonds as well as providing promised services and continuing a commitment to treat all people regardless of their ability to pay, Memorial president and CEO Maggie Gill said, according to the report.
3. With a partnership, Memorial Health president and CEO Maggie Gill would continue in her role and her management team would remain intact.
4. The action comes about three years after both entities signed a shared services agreement. In an email to board members, physicians, Memorial team members and others, Memorial Health Board of Directors Chairman Harry Haslam said Memorial and Novant have enjoyed a mutually beneficial shared service relationship for nearly three years, saving over $8 million dollars of costs, committing to build a children's hospital and collaborating on clinical service lines. "Novant and Memorial have compatible cultures and a shared mission to improve the health of the communities we serve. We are excited about the possibility of joining forces and growing together," he wrote.
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