The Health Care Authority of the City of Anniston (Ala.) has signed a letter of intent for RMC Health System to become an affiliate of Birmingham, Ala.-based UAB Health System.
RMC, the flagship hospital for Northeast Alabama, said it entered the agreement from a stable position after exploring a range of options from various health systems before choosing UAB as its potential partner.
The proposed affiliation would support RMC's goal to improve patient care and access to care in its-five country region. It aims to achieve this by growing its service lines, with a renewed focus on exploring a joint venture cancer center; collaborating with UAB to improve patient care and quality as well as its financial sustainability; and supporting the recruitment of specialty physicians.
"A new affiliate agreement would extend the full clinical expertise and medical research capabilities of UAB to the Anniston/Oxford region and help RMC continue to deliver exceptional care to their community," UAB Health CEO Dawn Bulgarella said in a Feb. 8 news release. "Additionally, there are potential advantages to be gained through combined purchasing power, governance, and economies of scale that would benefit both organizations."
RMC and UAB Health will enter a period of due diligence to fully determine the details of a final agreement. They plan to finalize an agreement this summer, pending organizational and regulatory approvals.