Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District in Brawley, Calif., and El Centro (Calif.) Regional Medical Center have approved a memorandum of understanding to consider a possible affiliation, according to an Imperial Valley Press report.
The hospital boards did not agree to a merger or affiliation but simply to collaborate to evaluate the benefits of an affiliation. The MOU states their shared vision includes "a collaborative partnership of physicians and the organization, recognized nationally and by the community as the leader in quality healthcare and customer service," according to the report.
This past March, the Press reported a potential transaction between ECRMC and San Diego-based Scripps Health might include Pioneers Memorial Hospital. Physician members of the ECRMC Medical Executive Committee agreed including both hospitals in the possible affiliation would lower costs related to insurance and supplies, and result in more available resources, according to the report.
ECRMC and Scripps entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement last fall. In May 2013, the El Centro City Council voted unanimously to seek an affiliation partner for ECRMC to improve quality of care by enhancing services and increasing access points, as well as eliminating future liability for the city.
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