Four healthcare organizations in Philadelphia have united to save and transform the Mercy Philadelphia Hospital campus.
In February 2020, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic said it would end inpatient care at the safety-net hospital, but city leaders were determined to find a way to save inpatient care, especially given the abrupt closure of Philadelphia-based Hahnemann University Hospital the previous summer.
The Philadelphia safety-net hospital was granted a new lifeline under the partnership announced last September. The four organizations in coalition are: Public Health Management Corp., Penn Medicine, Independence Blue Cross Foundation and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
As of March 25, the Mercy Philadelphia campus is known as the PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar.
Public Health Management Corp., is now the owner and operator of the property, and Penn Medicine is now managing the hospital's emergency department, inpatient services and behavioral health programming. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Blue Cross Foundation are partners in the transformation.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is exploring an option to offer inpatient psychiatric care and crisis response services on the campus. Blue Cross will support and help fund community and nonprofit social services such as health and wellness education.
The organizations called the new campus "an innovative and integrated public health campus" designed to serve West and Southwest Philadelphia.
"We know that the need for equitable, integrated and collaborative care has never been more critical, especially in light of this year’s COVID-19 pandemic," said Richard J. Cohen, president and CEO of Public Health Management Corp. "Together with our coalition partners, we've embarked on an effort to bring integrated service delivery on and around this campus, informed by the community and area partners and stakeholders."