War Memorial Hospital Considering Affiliation Partners

War Memorial Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., is considering offers to partner or merge with other healthcare organizations, according to a Sault Ste. Marie Evening News report.

Five organizations have expressed interest in either affiliating with or purchasing War Memorial, the hospital's CEO David Jahn said last week at a community session concerning the facility's three-year strategic plan, according to the report.

The potential buyers or affiliation partners include Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Hospitals, McLaren Health System in Flint, Mich., Traverse City, Mich.-based Munson Healthcare, University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor and Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

Mr. Jahn said the possibility of for-profit LifePoint purchasing War Memorial is "very remote," since the hospital and county boards will likely prefer local control, according to the report. McLaren would like to affiliate with the hospital and eventually purchase it if War Memorial goes up for sale in the future. The other organizations are looking to affiliate, according to Mr. Jahn.

War Memorial's board hopes to achieve cost savings while still maintaining independent decision-making through a potential affiliation, Mr. Jahn said in the report.

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