Phoenix Children's, Catholic Healthcare West Approve Definitive Agreement to Combine Pediatric Programs, Staff
PHOENIX, Ariz. (April 5, 2011) – Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) have executed a definitive agreement that will unite their respective pediatric programs within Maricopa County with services centralized at the Phoenix Children’s campus. CHW is the parent company of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Chandler Regional Medical Center and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.
Uniting the two organizations’ pediatric programs into one exceptional pediatric healthcare delivery system will enhance patient care and facilitate the development of comprehensive programs and regional Centers of Excellence. “The State of Arizona needs and deserves a leading provider of complex and specialty care dedicated to children to support the tremendous market growth ahead,” said Robert L. Meyer, President and CEO of Phoenix Children’s.
While substantially all of CHW’s Maricopa County pediatric services will transfer to Phoenix Children’s under the agreement, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center will retain a neonatal intensive care unit and all three hospitals will continue their obstetrics services. In addition, all CHW Arizona facilities will continue to serve patients age 15 and older.
Pediatric services transitioning to Phoenix Children’s include cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, critical care, general medicine, general surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-rehabilitation, oncology, orthopedic surgery, pulmonary services, child abuse, pediatric rehabilitation,developmental pediatrics, and catheterization services. Patients who currently receive these services at St. Joseph’s should continue seeing their physician for the time being but will receive information on when their physician will move to Phoenix Children’s so that their care can be transitioned.
When the alliance closes, slated for May 31, 2011, most pediatric physician sub-specialists and other pediatric staff will transition employment from CHW/St. Joseph’s to Phoenix Children’s. The timing coincides with the opening of Phoenix Children’s new 11-story tower, on June 1, 2011. At closing, CHW will have a 20 percent interest in Phoenix Children’s and minority representation on the Hospital Board.
“We are very pleased that this arrangement allows CHW to continue a 116-year tradition of service to children and families while also allowing us to develop programs that are required to meet the needs of this growing region,” said Linda Hunt, CHW Arizona Service Area Leader and President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. “Combining resources means young patients will have unmatched care. It will also strengthen the financial status of both organizations.”
The organizations announced a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2010. Since then, executives, physicians and staff members from both hospitals have participated in workgroups to execute the complex transaction plan.
“We have a bold vision for the future of pediatric health care – one in which Phoenix Children’s is a leading destination for the very best care for patients with the most complex childhood illnesses,” says Meyer. “Together, we are creating the children’s hospital of the future.”
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About Catholic Healthcare West
Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), headquartered in San Francisco, CA, is a system of 40 hospitals and medical centers in California, Arizona, and Nevada. Founded in 1986, it is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest private hospital system in California. CHW is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable health care services with special attention to the poor and underserved. The CHW network of nearly 10,000 physicians and approximately 55,000 employees provides health care services to more than five million people annually. In 2010, CHW provided more than $1.3 billion in charity care, community benefit, and unreimbursed patient care. For more information, please visit our website at www.chwHEALTH.org.
About Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is Arizona’s only licensed children’s hospital, providing world-class care in more than 40 pediatric specialties to children from throughout the state and region. Though Phoenix Children’s is one of the ten largest freestanding children’s hospitals in the country, it is in the midst of a major expansion to meet the needs of the Southwest’s rapid population growth. The signature element of the expansion is a new 11-story, 750,000-square-foot tower which will enable the hospital to grow from 345 licensed beds today to a total of 626 licensed beds once the project is complete. The hospital’s expansion also includes an aggressive physician recruitment effort and new satellite centers in high growth areas of the Valley. For more information, visit the hospital’s web site at www.phoenixchildrens.com.
Media Contacts:
Jane Walton Lynne Reaves
Phoenix Children’s Hospital St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center
602-546-5871 602-406-4734
602-202-2229 (pager) 602-818-5179 (cell)
