Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and Salem (Ore.) Health are close to finalizing their planned affiliation, according to a Portland Tribune report.
Here are six things to know about the partnership.
1. The partnership will not be a merger.
2. The affiliation will create a new joint management agency, called OSHU Partners, to manage the entities' respective clinical services as an integrated health system. Norm Gruber, CEO of Salem Health, will become president of the new management agency. Peter Rapp, OHSU executive vice president and executive director of OHSU Healthcare, will become CEO.
3. Under the affiliation OHSU, which has been a public corporation since 1995 and retains state support, and Salem Health will retain their governing boards, according to the report.
4. Employees — 14,616 at OHSU, and about 3,900 at Salem Health — will continue to work for separate organizations.
5. As far as the reasoning behind the affiliation, Mr. Gruber said in the report, "We saw that an independent hospital or health system, such as we are, is probably going to change dramatically as our whole industry consolidates around the country. We wanted to do this when we felt we are still in a position of strength, clinically and financially. We thought it was time to find a partner."
6. The boards of both organizations will review a definitive agreement, and expect to approve it in September.
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