Phoenix Hospital to Shift Pediatric Cases to Children's Hospital in New Alliance

In a proposed strategic alliance, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix plans to shift many of its pediatric cases to Phoenix Children's Hospital so that St. Joseph's can focus on a few adult services, according to a report by the Phoenix Business Journal.

St. Joseph's will use the vacated space to expand services in neurosurgery, neurology, cardiology and pulmonology under the new alliance, which stops short of a merger but still needs approval by the Federal Trade Commission.

However, St. Joseph's would keep its neonatal intensive care unit and continue serving patients age 15 or older as well as all pediatric patients in its trauma unit.

St. Joseph's has been the area's second-largest pediatrics hospital, after Children's, and pediatrics currently makes up one-third of St. Joseph's cases.

As part of the deal, Catholic Healthcare West, St. Joseph's Hospital's parent, would have a minority interest Children's, with seats on its board.

Children's is building an 11-story tower that would house the St. Joseph's pediatrics patients when completed in 2011.

Read the Phoenix Business Journal's report on St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.