The last independently operated health system in Middlesex County — New Brunswick, N.J.-based Saint Peter's HealthCare System — is seeking a strategic partnership to remain competitive and preserve its "Catholic mission and identity," according to NJ.com.
Saint Peter's sits in a highly competitive service area that has experienced a flurry of mergers over the last decade. Today, there are nine other hospitals in Middlesex County, which are affiliated with New Brunswick-based RWJBarnabas Health, Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health or Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine.
After a year of extensive strategic review by its board and senior leadership, Saint Peter's decided to issue a request for proposals for strategic partnerships or affiliations.
"We have an obligation to be good stewards in planning for Saint Peter's future," Leslie Hirsh, St. Peter's interim president and CEO, told NJ.com. "Through the RFP process, we will evaluate possible options, with a focus on finding a strategic partner or affiliate that would allow Saint Peter's to retain its Catholic mission and identity, remain competitive in the changing healthcare environment, and yield the best possible outcome for its patients, employees, medical staff and the communities we serve."
St. Peter's comprises a 478-bed teaching hospital, a children's hospital, Saint Peter's Physician Associates, the Saint Peter's Foundation and the Saint Peter's Health and Management Services Corp., which oversees its outpatient facilities.