River Valley Health Partners and Mercy Health Exit Merger Talks
East Liverpool, Ohio (PRWEB) April 03, 2015 -- River Valley Health Partners (RVHP) announced today that merger talks with Mercy Health have ceased and both parties have agreed to withdraw the letter of intent signed in late 2014. “In 2013 we set out to find a partner for our health system and community, as the merger process progressed with Mercy Health the decision was made that we may need to move in a different direction,” said Pete Wicks, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for RVHP.
Ken Cochran, President and Chief Executive Officer of River Valley Health Partners said, “We have prepared our health system to survive in the event Mercy Health was not the partner for us. Our physicians and staff have made very significant sacrifices to put our health system on solid stand-alone ground. The board of trustees will seek to fulfill our obligation of finding the right partner to thrive in the future."
Through the first two months of 2015 RVHP has met critical financial targets put in place last fall to ensure the viability of the health system as a stand-alone entity. At that same time the facility has made very strong improvements in the quality of patient care. Recently East Liverpool City Hospital (ELCH) received a top performer award from the Joint Commission, the accrediting body of the facility. We have made great strides in controlling hospital acquired infections through the development of new policies and procedures. ELCH had zero cases of ventilator, central line, and urinary catheter associated infections for all of 2014. Ken Cochran said, “The physicians and staff of RVHP have united in an effort to stabilize our future and improve the quality of our care. It is through their efforts and sacrifices that River Valley Health Partners and East Liverpool City Hospital will continue our mission to care for the community. We will evaluate the different partnership opportunities available to us and set a course that is best for our staff, community, and the patients we serve.”
RVHP is a health system that comprises of the East Liverpool City Hospital, River Valley Physicians, The Therapy Center in Calcutta, and Ohio Valley Home Health Services. RVHP’s health system accelerates your diagnosis, care, and recovery through seamless communication. The organization serves residents of Columbiana County Ohio and surrounding communities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. (Contact us why?) For information about our services, cContact us at 330-385-7200 or visit the website at http://www.elch.org
Brian Allen, River Valley Health Partners, http://www.elch.org, +1 3303862991, [email protected]
Share this article