News Releases

Trinity Health and Catholic Health East Mark First Day as a Consolidated System

2013-05-01 11:00:34.0

Trinity Health and Catholic Health East today announced the official closing of the consolidation of the two health care systems to create one of the nation's largest Catholic health systems, serving patients and communities in 21 states. "Today, by bringing Catholic Health East and Trinity Health together, we have enhanced our ability to create innovative models of care and advance clinical quality across the continuum," said Judith Persichilli, interim president and CEO of the new organization. "The consolidation will help address the rapidly changing health care environment that requires more focus on population health and the delivery of more coordinated and integrated care and health and wellness services. We are confident that we will be a transforming, healing presence in the communities we are privileged to serve." The new organization will be based in Livonia, Mich., while maintaining a divisional office presence in Newtown Square, Pa., as the organization continues its integration. With annual operating revenues of about $13.3 billion and assets of about $19.3 billion, the new organization returns almost $1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. "We are proud to celebrate coming together to form a new organization that has a shared mission, unwavering commitment to excellence in care and a strong, unified voice that will speak for what is best for our patients and residents, our communities, our care providers and our employees," said Larry Warren, interim chief operating officer of the new organization. "Our new ministry will work to innovate and transform to meet the demands of the changing health care environment while preserving the legacy handed down to us by our founding congregations." For employees, the new ministry offers more long-term career opportunities by being part of a larger, financially stronger and more geographically diverse health system that is better able to compete successfully in today’s health care marketplace. Patients will benefit from the broader spectrum of resources and knowledge of the new ministry. The enterprise will maximize integrated care — sharing ideas, assets and expertise across 21 states for the communities it serves. It will use the scale of the organization to focus on quality and decrease costs. The new ministry will enable access to enterprise resources to improve care and learn from each other, advancing excellence in clinical systems, evidenced-based practice and national buying power — while increasing access to strategic thought leaders who are experts in their field and who will support each of the facilities' vitality. Physicians will have access to leading clinicians across 21 states, contributing to the new ministry’s solution to health reform, clinical informatics and best clinical practices. Across the enterprise, they can share the just-in-time information that’s necessary to provide the best patient care. Catholic health care will benefit from a stronger, unified voice to advocate for better care, especially for those who are poor and vulnerable. The new ministry will collaborate and participate in innovative models for community health care, sharing ideas with partners throughout the country to help as many people as possible. A celebration of the yet-unnamed organization will take place May 5-7 when board members and enterprise executives come together for a governance-management conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. General Facts National System Office: Livonia, Mich. Divisional Offices: Trinity Health Division, Livonia, Mich.; CHE Division, Newtown Square, Pa. Fiscal Year-End: June 30 Regional Health Ministries: - Allegany Franciscan Ministries, Palm Harbor, Fla.** - BayCare Health System, Clearwater, Fla.* - Catholic Health System, Buffalo, N.Y.* - Global Health Ministry, Newtown Square, Pa.** - Holy Cross Health, Silver Spring, Md. - Holy Cross Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - Lourdes Health System, Camden, N.J. - Loyola University Health System, Chicago, Ill. - The Mercy Community, West Hartford, Conn. - Mercy Health Network, Des Moines, Iowa* - Mercy Health, Norton Shores, Mich. - Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Conshohocken, Pa. - Mercy Hospital, Portland, Maine - Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago, Ill. - Mercy Medical, Daphne, Ala. - Mount Carmel Health System, Columbus, Ohio - Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, Pittsburgh, Pa. - Saint Agnes Medical Center, Fresno, Calif. - Saint Alphonsus Health System, Boise, Idaho - Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, Ind. - Saint Joseph's Health System, Atlanta, Ga. - Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, Ann Arbor, Mich. - Saint Michael's Medical Center, Newark, N.J. - Sisters of Providence Health System, Springfield, Mass. - Saint Francis Healthcare, Wilmington, Del. - St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, N.J. - St. James Mercy Hospital, Hornell, N.Y. - St. Joseph of the Pines, Southern Pines, N.C. - St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne, Pa. - St. Mary's Health Care System, Athens, Ga. - St. Peter's Health Partners, Albany, N.Y. *Mercy Health Network exists pursuant to a joint operating agreement between Trinity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives *BayCare Health System exists pursuant to a Joint Operating Agreement among Catholic Health East, Morton Plant Mease, South Florida Baptist and BayCare Health System. *Catholic Health System exists pursuant to a Joint Operating Agreement among Catholic Health East, the Diocese of Buffalo and Ascension Health. **Allegany Franciscan Ministries and Global Health Ministry are Supportive Health Corporations of Catholic Health East. ABOUT THE NEW ORGANIZATION The new organization formed by the consolidation of Catholic Health East and Trinity Health is one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. It serves people and communities in 21 states from coast to coast with 82 hospitals, 89 continuing care facilities and home health and hospice programs that provide nearly 2.8 million visits annually. It was formed in May 2013, when Trinity Health and Catholic Health East closed their consolidation to strengthen their shared mission, increase excellence in care and advance transformative efforts with their unified voice. With annual operating revenues of about $13.3 billion and assets of about $19.3 billion, the new organization returns almost $1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. It employs more than 87,000 people, including 4,100 employed physicians. The consolidated ministry is committed to those who are poor and underserved in its communities and is known for its focus on the country's aging population. As a single, unified ministry, the organization is the innovator of Senior Emergency Departments and the largest not-for-profit provider of home health care services — ranked by number of visits — in the nation, as well as the nation’s leading provider of PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) based on the number of programs. For more information, visit either www.trinity-health.org, www.che.org or www.newhealthministry.org.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Trinity Health-Michigan achieve new approach to reimbursement with landmark contract

2013-04-29 12:23:24.0

Health system and physicians will work together to improve care; Trinity Health and Blues will share savings under value-based reimbursement model Trinity Health-Michigan and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan are implementing a first of its kind reimbursement arrangement that moves hospitals away from traditional fee-for-service payments. The focus of the new reimbursement model is on better hospital-specific efficiency and better population health outcomes achieved by the hospitals working in close concert with affiliated physicians. “The current fee-for-service approach to paying hospitals is failing to improve care and lower its cost. Trinity Health is a visionary leader in its industry, and we are very pleased that they are joining with the Blues to align payments with their performance in achieving successful health outcomes and better hospital efficiency,” said Daniel J. Loepp, president and CEO of BCBSM. "We pride ourselves on being innovative at Trinity Health so that we can provide better, more effective and efficient care for our patients. Working with the Blue Cross team to create a first of its kind value-based arrangement that we can now execute is inspirational," said Larry Warren, interim president and CEO of Trinity Health. The arrangement covers a three-year period and is an outgrowth of Trinity Health’s agreement in 2012 to partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on a new value-based reimbursement model to pay for hospital services. To support the enhanced performance under the contract, BCBSM and Trinity Health are currently collaborating to create a shared performance management system and work processes that more fully integrate clinical best practices into all facets of care delivery. “It is exciting to move from an idea to actually implementing an approach that will serve to align the interests of the patients, providers and payers to create value for all parties involved in the care delivery process," said Ben Carter, Trinity Health senior vice president and chief financial officer. “The current system is best described as fee-for-service without a focus on improved health outcomes,” said Susan Barkell, BCBSM senior vice president for Health Care Value. “Insurers pay for most every treatment, no matter how effective. But we don’t pay physicians and hospitals for some things that really improve patient health, like proactively contacting people about their follow-up care or medication compliance. We are working with Trinity Health to usher in a new era of paying for the most effective care possible for people.” The reimbursement arrangement will be launched at Mercy Health Partners hospitals and Saint Mary’s Health Care in west Michigan. Other Trinity Health hospitals will move under the new reimbursement arrangement in July. This will facilitate closer collaboration already under way between the hospital system and its physician partners to improve population health. The arrangement rewards the hospitals with a share of the savings achieved when hospitals and physicians successfully coordinate the delivery of care to enable efficient and effective treatments, eliminate redundancies and errors in care and prevent re-hospitalizations. “Under national health care reform, the federal government also is shifting to a value-based reimbursement arrangement that focuses on paying for more effective use of medical services and outcomes rather than units of service,” said Jeff Connolly, BCBSM president for West Michigan operations. “Fee-for-service reimbursement does not account for quality or value. It has been a significant factor in the huge growth of health care costs over the last decade – costs that are now unsustainable. It’s time to change what isn’t working, and Trinity has joined the Blues to move this change forward responsibly here in Michigan.” The arrangement will provide hospitals funding for infrastructure improvements needed to better coordinate care between the hospitals and their physician partners. Since last year, Trinity Health has been working with their provider partners in the community to develop and implement an infrastructure plan that includes an all-patient registry system that allows caregivers on the hospital and physician side to have access to the patients’ records. This promotes coordination of care, improves care quality, and also helps avoid misuse and overuse of tests and services. The next step in the process is to identify cost efficiencies at the hospital and in the population that is treated by the hospital and its physician partners. Trinity Health and its physicians have established milestones to ensure infrastructure work continues along with funding through 2015. "This new agreement will not only benefit our patients, but also provide savings for employers. With the insurers as partners, we will be able to improve health and reduce cost. This is an innovative approach to both," said Roger Spoelman, Regional President and CEO, Mercy Health and Regional Executive Trinity Health-West Michigan. Trinity Health regional health systems and hospitals in Michigan are: - Mercy Hospital Cadillac - Mercy Hospital Grayling - Mercy Health * Mercy Health Partners, Hackley Campus * Mercy Health Partners, Muskegon Campus * Mercy Health Partners, Lakeshore Campus * Saint Mary’s Health Care Grand Rapids - Saint Joseph Mercy Health System * Chelsea Community Hospital * St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor * St. Joseph Mercy Livingston * St. Joseph Mercy Oakland * St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron * St. Mary Mercy Livonia About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit organization, provides and administers health benefits to more than 4.4 million members residing in Michigan in addition to members of Michigan-headquartered groups who reside outside the state. The company offers a broad variety of plans including Community Blue and Simply Blue; Blue Care Network HMO and BCN Healthy Blue Living; Health Savings Accounts; Medicare Advantage; Part D Prescription Drug plans; and MyBlue products in the under-age-65 individual market. BCBSM also offers dental, vision and hearing plans. Throughout our history, we’ve adapted and transformed ourselves to grow and lead in an increasingly complex industry. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com. About Trinity Health - Michigan Trinity Health is a leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers, with more than 28,000 associates serving 31 counties and providing the full continuum of care for Michigan’s residents through 12 hospitals, numerous ambulatory sites, eight nursing homes, 26 Trinity Senior Living Communities, nine home health care agencies and six hospices. Nationally, Trinity Health is among the largest Catholic health care systems in the country. Based in Livonia, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 432 outpatient facilities, 34 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing about 56,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reports about $9.0 billion in unrestricted revenue.For more information, visit www.trinity-health.org

Trinity Health and Catholic Health East Name Top Leadership for Consolidated Organization

2013-04-04 13:46:55.0

Livonia, Mich., and Newtown Square, Pa. – Catholic Health East (CHE) and Trinity Health today took another important step toward consolidating into a stronger national health ministry, announcing two interim top executives for the new organization and 12 members for the board that will be formed when the two organizations come together.

The boards and sponsors named Judith Persichilli, R.N., B.S.N., M.A., president and chief executive officer, CHE, to be the interim president and CEO of the new organization and Larry Warren, interim chief executive officer, Trinity Health, to be the interim chief operating officer.

The boards and sponsors for Trinity Health and CHE agreed that the board of directors for the new organization will be composed of six members from the CHE board, six members from the Trinity Health board and three new members who do not serve on either board and will be appointed at a later date. The CHE and Trinity members will be:

James D. Bentley, Ph.D., former senior vice president, strategic policy planning, American Hospital Association, Silver Spring, Maryland
Joseph Betancourt, M.D., director, The Disparities Solutions Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and senior scientist, Mongan Institute for Health Policy
Sister Suzanne Brennan, C.S.C., executive director, Holy Cross Ministries, Salt Lake City, Utah
Melanie Dreher, Ph.D., R.N., dean, College of Nursing, Rush University, Chicago, Ill.
Mary Catherine Karl, C.P.A., principal, Surgical Safety Institute, Tampa, Fla.
Sister Mary Mollison, C.S.A., vice president of ministry and spirituality, Agnesian Health Care, Fond du Lac, Wis.
George M. Phillip, president emeritus, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, N.Y.
Sister Kathleen Popko, S.P., president, Sisters of Providence, Holyoke, Massachusetts
Stanley T. Urban, chair, Hope Ministries, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
Roberta Waite, Ed.D., associate professor of nursing and assistant dean of faculty integration and evaluation of community programs, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sister Linda Werthman, R.S.M., adjunct social work associate professor, University of Detroit Mercy, Livonia, Mich.
Sister Barbara Wheeley, R.S.M., CHE Sponsors Council coordinator

“Our combined health ministry will bring even more exceptional care to the national marketplace, and Judy and Larry are inspirational leaders and collaborators who will keep the consolidation moving forward in alignment with our shared mission,” said Trinity Health Board Chair Sister Mary Mollison, C.S.A., and CHE Board Chair Dennis Fitzpatrick in a letter to employees of both organizations.

A national search for a permanent president and CEO of the new, unified ministry is underway.

The consolidation of CHE and Trinity Health will create a health system that serves people in 21 states from coast to coast with 82 hospitals, 89 continuing care facilities and home health and hospice programs that provide nearly 2.8 million visits annually. More than 87,000 employees, including 4,100 employed physicians, will provide care in the new system. The new system will have annual operating revenues of about $13.3 billion and assets of about $19.3 billion, and will return almost $1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other programs.

Persichilli became president and CEO of CHE in May 2010, after six years of service to the organization in roles including executive vice president of the system’s Mid-Atlantic Division, executive vice president of acute care, and executive vice president and chief operating officer. Before that, she served for eight years as CEO at CHE-affiliate St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, N.J.

Warren has served on the Trinity Health Board since July 2011 and most recently served as the president and CEO at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Previously, he worked for the University of Michigan for 29 years in various administrative capacities, including, for the last 10 years, as the CEO of the University’s Hospital System.

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About Catholic Health East: Catholic Health East (CHE) is a multi-institutional Catholic health system, co-sponsored by seven religious congregations and Hope Ministries, a Public Juridic Person within Catholic Health East. Based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, the System provides the means to ensure the continuation of the Catholic identity and operational strength of the sponsors’ health ministries, which are located in 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida. The System includes 35 acute care hospitals, four long-term acute care hospitals, 26 freestanding and hospital-based long-term care facilities, 12 assisted-living facilities, four continuing care retirement communities, eight behavioral health and rehabilitation facilities, 31 home health/hospice agencies and numerous ambulatory and community-based health services. Catholic Health East is the largest not-for-profit provider of home health care services—ranked by number of visits—in the nation, as well as the nation’s leading provider of PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) based on the number of programs. For more information about Catholic Health East, visit www.che.org, or “like” CHE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/catholichealtheast.

About Trinity Health: Trinity Health is the 10th largest health system and the fourth largest Catholic health care system in the country, by total number of hospitals and total bed count, respectively. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 432 outpatient facilities, 32 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Trinity Health reports about $9.0 billion in unrestricted revenue. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve those who are poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2012, this included more than $616 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org, follow @TrinityHealthMI on Twitter, or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Hospital Industry Leaders Visit Capitol Hill to Protect the Nation's Health

2013-03-06 17:55:26.0

Meetings with Members of Congress Focus on Preserving Hospitals' Ability to Provide Care March 6, 2013, Livonia, Mich. ---Trinity Health announced today that 60 of its system leaders visited Capitol Hill this afternoon to bring to Congress their collective concerns about the economic issues and business challenges threatening the nation’s evolving health system. The legislative visit to Washington, D.C., was an opportunity for lawmakers to talk with community hospital leaders from Trinity Health's ten states about progress toward achieving a stronger health care system and about the effect of sequestration and other recent Medicare program payment cuts on hospitals, communities and patients. "Trinity Health remains committed to transforming the nation’s health care delivery system, and we’re making bold progress in the communities we serve," said Dan Hale, Executive Vice President for Trinity Health with responsibility for public policy and advocacy. "We hope the President, Congress and other providers will be our partners on this journey." Trinity Health's Advocacy Action Day included the participation of Richard Umbdenstock, President and Chief Executive Office of the American Hospital Association, and Richard Gilfillan, MD, Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. In spite of inclement weather that resulted in some meeting cancellations and closed all Federal government offices for the day, participating Trinity Health leaders attended about 30 scheduled meetings with Senators, Representatives and key staff in their Capitol Hill offices. Hospital leaders discussed, among other things, Medicaid expansion, behavioral health services and Medicare payments. “We are in Washington this week to ask for the financial and regulatory predictability, stability and support we need to efficiently deliver more and better care to more people," said Hale. "It is especially needed now that sequestration has gone into effect." Sequestration will require hospitals to absorb an additional 2% cut in Medicare payments while already facing significant cuts required by the Affordable Care Act and subsequent legislation. The fact that more cuts are expected next year creates additional concern for health care providers. "We were present to Congress at a critical time and we are grateful that so many of our leaders were able to travel for these important discussions," said Tonya Wells, Vice President, Federal Public Policy and Advocacy. "Today we provided suggestions for advancing America's health through policy; when we are back in our hospitals and offices, we will continue advancing it through our own commitment to health care transformation." Trinity Health advocacy efforts take place year-round, with leaders and associates from every member hospital and hospital system in continuous dialogue with policymakers through meetings, visits, letter-writing campaigns and more. As Trinity Health representatives held their meetings during Advocacy Action Day 2013, many others, who were unable to attend, sent email messages sharing their concerns. "Everyone can work together with government and health care professionals to improve our nation’s health," said Wells. "And, as a result of ongoing grassroots engagement, our associates are beginning to understand just how powerful their voices and opinions can be." ### About Trinity Health Trinity Health is the 10th largest health system in the nation and the fourth largest Catholic health care system in the country, by total number of hospitals and total bed count, respectively. Based in Livonia, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 432 outpatient facilities, 32 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing about 56,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reports about $9.0 billion in unrestricted revenue. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve those who are poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2012, this included more than $616 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org, follow @TrinityHealthMI on Twitter, or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Trinity Health CEO Swedish Resigns; Board Names Warren Interim CEO

2013-02-12 15:40:30.0

Livonia, Mich. --- Trinity Health announced today that President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph R. Swedish will leave the organization next month to become the CEO of WellPoint in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the Trinity Health Board of Directors named Board member Larry Warren to be interim CEO. Swedish is working with the Trinity Health Board and the executive team to ensure a smooth transition. Warren, a Trinity Health Board member since July 2011, is the former CEO of Howard University Hospital and former CEO of University of Michigan Hospital. “Joe has been a visionary leader for Trinity Health and an unrelenting advocate for our mission, and we wish him all the best in his new role,” said Sister Mary Mollison, CSA, Chair of the Trinity Health Board of Directors. “We are fortunate to have an exemplary leadership team and a strong, engaged Board to ensure we stay on our strategy – positioning Trinity Health for the future through clinical excellence, community benefit and steadfast financial stewardship. Trinity Health and Catholic Health East remain committed to our consolidation, and we are continuing forward to integrate our organizations and close the consolidation this year.” Swedish has been CEO since December 2004. Under his leadership, Trinity Health revenues increased from $5.7 billion in 2005 to $8.9 billion in 2012, and total assets increased from $7.5 billion to $11.7 billion. The organization’s community benefit ministry, which includes care for the poor and community heath activity, increased from $265 million in 2005 to $615 million in 2012. “Trinity Health is a progressive and dynamic ministry, and it has been my honor to help pursue its mission for eight years,” Swedish said. “I thank the entire Trinity Health team for their tireless commitment to healing the body, mind and spirit of people everywhere, and for working together to unify our ministry for a stronger future.” ### About Trinity Health Trinity Health is the 10th largest health system in the nation and the fourth largest Catholic health care system in the country, by total number of hospitals and total bed count, respectively. Based in Livonia, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 432 outpatient facilities, 32 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing about 56,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reports about $9.0 billion in unrestricted revenue. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve those who are poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2012, this included more than $616 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org, follow @TrinityHealthMI on Twitter, or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Trinity Health Names Nordlund to Lead Strategy and Innovation

2012-11-19 13:31:39.0

Nov. 16, 2012, Livonia, Mich. --- Trinity Health today named Scott Nordlund to be Executive Vice President for Enterprise Strategy and Innovation Development, focusing on bold, new approaches that position the organization for the future. In his role, Nordlund will lead research that generates innovative ideas from diverse sources and multiple sectors, promoting new business models, strategic alliances and start-ups. He also will build the pipeline for innovation projects that help Trinity Health continue to be a transforming presence in health care. “For our patients and communities, Trinity Health is focused on the future, so we are excited that Scott is joining our team to pursue fresh ideas that position us for continuous improvement,” said Trinity Health President and CEO Joseph Swedish. “Scott is an innovator and a risk taker, and we look forward to his strategic leadership.” Nordlund joins Trinity Health from Dignity Health (formerly Catholic Healthcare West), where he is the Senior Vice President for Strategic Growth, Network and New Venture Development. He had several other executive roles in strategic planning and business development during his 11 years at Dignity Health, and, previously, held similar executive positions with Navvis Group, BJC Health System in St. Louis and Baxter Healthcare in Chicago. Active in health care venture leadership, Nordlund served as Chairman of the United Surgical Partners/DH Surgical LLC Board in Arizona and was a Board Member of the Nevada USPI/DH JV. He was on the Board of Directors and served as the Chair of the Strategy Committee for Mercy Care Plan, a 360,000-member, $2 billion Medicaid plan that is co-owned by Dignity Health and Ascension Health System. He also was a board member of the DH/SimonMed Imaging JV (one of the largest ambulatory imaging networks in the country), and the Dignity Health Purchasing Network. Nordlund received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Illinois and two master’s degrees (Master of Business Administration and Master of Health Services Administration) from the University of Michigan. Nordlund and his wife, Becky, have a son and a daughter who both are in college. They plan to purchase a home in Michigan after he begins his new role in January. ### About Trinity Health Trinity Health is the 10th largest health system in the nation and the fourth largest Catholic health care system in the country, by total number of hospitals and total bed count, respectively. Based in Livonia, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 432 outpatient facilities, 32 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing about 56,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reports about $9.0 billion in unrestricted revenue. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve those who are poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2012, this included more than $616 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org, follow @TrinityHealthMI on Twitter, or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Trinity Health and Catholic Health East Agree to Explore Coming Together

2012-10-17 11:13:04.0

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PENN. and NOVI, MICH. - - October 17, 2012 - The boards and sponsors of Catholic Health East (CHE) and Trinity Health, two leading Catholic health systems, announced today they signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to come together into a unified national health system that will enhance their mission of service to people and communities across the United States.

The boards also announced that Joseph R. Swedish, president and CEO of Trinity Health, would become president and CEO of the anticipated new organization, and that Judith M. Persichilli, president and CEO of CHE, would become executive vice president of the new organization. Until the new organization is created, both executives will lead its formation while retaining their current title, role and responsibilities for their respective organizations.

The consolidation would create a health system that serves people in 21 states from coast to coast with 82 hospitals, 89 continuing care facilities and home health and hospice programs that provide nearly 2.8 million visits annually. More than 87,000 employees, including 4,100 employed physicians, would provide care in the new system.

“Trinity Health and Catholic Health East are strong Catholic health care systems that share a Gospel-based mission and an unyielding commitment to care for people who are poor and underserved,” said Sister Mary Mollison, CSA, chair of Trinity Health. “This consolidation advances the vision of congregations of Sisters that founded these health care ministries, addresses the changing health care environment and takes a bold next step for Catholic health care.”

“The joining together of Catholic Health East and Trinity Health represents the next step in the courageous journey begun more than a century ago by the women religious of our founding congregations,” said Sister Barbara Wheeley, RSM, CHE’s Sponsors Council coordinator. “We are confident this will help preserve and strengthen Catholic health care for generations to come.”

“A unified ministry allows us to better leverage our talents and size, and to use our resources more effectively in furtherance of our mission,” said Dennis Fitzpatrick, chairperson of Catholic Health East’s board of directors. “Together, we will have a greater ability to influence and transform health care at the national level.”

The new system would have annual operating revenues of about $13.3 billion and assets of about $19.3 billion, and would return almost $1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other programs.

“To serve people best in today’s health care environment, health systems must have ready access to resources and ideas across the broad spectrum of care, and this consolidation would help us achieve that goal with an exceptional national network,” said Joseph Swedish, president and CEO, Trinity Health. “We are excited about the benefits our combined organizations will bring to people and communities nationwide.”

The consolidation will help address the rapidly changing health care environment that requires more focus on population health and the delivery of more coordinated and integrated care and health and wellness services.

“By bringing Catholic Health East and Trinity Health together, we will enhance our ability to create innovative models of care and advance clinical quality across the continuum,” said Judith Persichilli, president and CEO, Catholic Health East. “This is a wonderful opportunity for both ministries to build upon our common mission, and enhance our collective ability to be a transforming, healing presence in the communities we are privileged to serve.”

The development of the consolidation is in its preliminary phase. Over the next few months, the systems’ boards and management will pursue the potential consolidation and conduct due diligence with a goal of reaching a Definitive Agreement in spring 2013.

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About Catholic Health East: Catholic Health East (CHE) is a multi-institutional Catholic health system, co-sponsored by eight religious congregations and Hope Ministries, a Public Juridic Person within Catholic Health East. Based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, the System provides the means to ensure the continuation of the Catholic identity and operational strength of the sponsors’ health ministries, which are located in 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida. The System includes 35 acute care hospitals, four long-term acute care hospitals, 26 freestanding and hospital-based long-term care facilities, 12 assisted-living facilities, four continuing care retirement communities, eight behavioral health and rehabilitation facilities, 31 home health/hospice agencies and numerous ambulatory and community-based health services. Catholic Health East is the largest not-for-profit provider of home health care services—ranked by number of visits—in the nation, as well as the nation’s leading provider of PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) based on the number of programs.

For more information about Catholic Health East, visit www.che.org, or “like” CHE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/catholichealtheast.

About Trinity Health: Trinity Health is the 10th largest health system in the nation and the fourth largest Catholic health care system in the country, by total number of hospitals and total bed count, respectively. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 432 outpatient facilities, 32 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Trinity Health reports about $9.0 billion in unrestricted revenue. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve those who are poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2012, this included more than $616 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org, follow @TrinityHealthMI on Twitter, or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Trinity Health Statement on the Supreme Court Ruling Upholding the Affordable Care Act

2012-06-28 10:48:44.0

With a belief that access and coverage for all is both a moral and practical imperative, Trinity Health is pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision, based on an initial read of the ruling. While we do not believe the Affordable Care Act to be perfect, it advances the creation of a health system that works for everyone. We believe that the individual insurance requirement is an essential element in the successful transformation of our nation’s health care system because it will enhance access to regular and preventive care in the appropriate setting, reduce inefficient use of health care resources, and enable health care providers like us to provide more coordinated, integrated and truly patient-centered care. We, along with other Catholic-sponsored providers, will continue to lead transformation, seeking new and better ways to provide compassionate, high-quality care in the communities we serve. Trinity Health is taking the time to carefully read and evaluate the Supreme Court’s decision on the ACA and may have additional comments once our review is complete. About Trinity Health Trinity Health is the 10th largest health system in the nation and the fourth largest Catholic health care system in the country, by total number of hospitals and total bed count, respectively. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 49 acute-care hospitals, 432 outpatient facilities, 33 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing about 56,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reports about $9.0 billion in unrestricted revenue. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve those who are poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2011, this included more than $453 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org, follow @TrinityHealthMI on Twitter, or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Trinity Health’s Joseph R. Swedish Installed as Chair of Catholic Health Association Board of Trustees

2012-06-05 10:19:46.0

June 5, 2012, Novi, Mich. — Trinity Health and the Catholic Health Association (CHA) announced today that Trinity Health President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph R. Swedish has been installed as Chairperson of the CHA board of trustees for fiscal year 2012-13. The installation of Swedish was part of “Leadership for Healing,” the 2012 Catholic Health Assembly concluding today in Philadelphia, Penn.

"In this time of great change in the nation's delivery of health care, I have every confidence that Joe's leadership in CHA will be beneficial to the ministry of Catholic health care throughout the nation, and, especially, to the patients, families, and communities we serve," said Mary Mollison, CSA, Chair of Trinity Health Board of Directors. "Joe's expertise, his long career in health care and his leadership style give him the gift of being able to lead effective change while retaining and strengthening our commitment to our sacred work. I have no doubt his impact will be significant."

Swedish, who was elected to this role last year and served as Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect for the CHA fiscal year 2011-12, has served as a CHA trustee since 2006. CHA's board of trustees develops the organization’s strategic directions, ensuring CHA’s fidelity to its Mission, stewards CHA’s resources and performs other governance activities to support and strengthen the Catholic health ministry in the United States. It consists of 22 trustees, including Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, CHA President and Chief Executive Officer.

“I am honored to serve along side all the dedicated members of CHA,” Swedish said. “The people of CHA share a passion for continuing a Mission of love, healing and a belief that every life is a sacred gift. It is this commitment to Mission and ministry that make CHA an organization able to create remarkable solutions in response to the extraordinary challenges we face in health care.”

CHA, founded in 1915, supports the Catholic health ministry’s commitment to improve the health status of communities and create quality and compassionate health care that works for everyone. The Catholic health ministry is the nation's largest group of not-for-profit health systems and facilities that, along with their sponsoring organizations, employ more than 750,000 women and men who deliver services combining advanced technology with the Catholic caring tradition.

Swedish, who has almost 40 years of experience in health care, is recognized by CHA for his legacy of vibrant leadership and service excellence. Under his direction, Trinity Health has leveraged its scale and skill to provide efficient and effective quality care, implement innovative Health Information Technology programs and establish critical Diversity and Inclusion priorities.

Prior to joining Trinity Health in 2005, Swedish served as President and CEO of Centura Health in Colorado and, previously, held a variety of senior executive positions in both investor-owned and non-profit health care systems. His experience spans faith-based and secular health care, university and community-based academic medical centers, integrated delivery systems and regional rural referral. In addition to the CHA board, Swedish currently serves on the boards of Loyola University Chicago, the National Quality Forum, and Coventry Health Care. Swedish also serves the American Hospital Association as chairman of the Medicare Wage Index Task Force, as a member of the Health Care Systems Governing Council, and the Equity of Care Council.

Read Mr. Swedish's acceptance speech

ABOUT TRINITY HEALTH
Trinity Health is among the largest Catholic health care systems in the country. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 49 acute-care hospitals, 432 outpatient facilities, 33 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing about 56,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reports about $9.0 billion in unrestricted revenue. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2011, this included more than $453 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org, follow @TrinityHealthMI on Twitter, or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Trinity Health-Michigan to Partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on Outcome-Based Hospital Payment Model

2012-05-03 10:27:34.0

DETROIT, May 3, 2012 – Trinity Health-Michigan, and its 12 acute care hospitals across Michigan, will partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on a new performance-based reimbursement model. Under the agreement, Trinity Health has committed to working with its physician partners and BCBSM to tie higher reimbursement payments directly to its success in providing more effective care and achieving more successful patient outcomes for its hospital population. Moving away from the traditional fee-for-service approach that is behind the huge growth of health care costs over the last decade, the new reimbursement arrangement between BCBSM and Trinity Health advances a new standard for how Michigan hospitals are paid by BCBSM. With Trinity Health’s 12 Michigan hospitals serving 31 counties, the agreement will have significant impact on providing more effective care and better outcomes broadly across the state. “This agreement leverages health insurance dollars not to encourage high volumes of services – but rather more effective care for the population of members cared for by Trinity Health and its physician partners,” said Susan Barkell, BCBSM senior vice president for Health Care Value. “This population-based approach addresses many of the issues driving up health care costs, and promotes integrated services and smoother transitions for the patients as they move across care settings. Trinity Health has stepped forward to be a leader in this arena.” “The changing fabric of health care calls us to embrace the value of collaboration,” said Garry Faja, President and CEO, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (Ann Arbor) and Trinity Health Regional Executive, East Michigan. “Our shared goal is clear: to provide better and safer care at a cost consistent with the demands of the market place, enabling us to fulfill our mission of service to our communities.” Roger Spoelman, President and CEO, Mercy Health Partners (Muskegon) and Trinity Health Market Executive, West Michigan, added, “This partnership serves to align our mutual goals of delivering high quality, cost-effective care to our patients. The agreement between Trinity Health, its 12 Michigan hospitals and BCBSM demonstrates the commitment of all of the organizations to ensuring that our communities’ health needs are served most effectively.” Under the terms of the agreement, BCBSM and Trinity Health-Michigan will support the funding of infrastructure improvements necessary to better integrate care services between Trinity Health and its physician partners. Milestones will be established by Trinity Health and its physicians to ensure infrastructure work continues along with funding through 2015. At that time, Trinity Health will continue with a performance-based reimbursement model in its contract with BCBSM. The agreement recognizes Trinity Health as a leading, innovative and clinically integrated health care organization that will be accountable for the delivery of patient-centric, coordinated, high-quality and compassionate health care. “This agreement recognizes that integrating physician organizations and hospitals builds a foundation for a better system of health care that places the patient in the forefront throughout the care process,” said Dr. Thomas Simmer, BCBSM senior vice president and chief medical officer. “We are pleased that Trinity Health is helping build the future of Michigan health care and we encourage other hospital systems and physician groups to join in a performance-based reimbursement agreement.” Trinity Health hospitals in Michigan included in the agreement are: - Chelsea Community Hospital - Mercy Hospital Cadillac - Mercy Hospital Grayling - Mercy Health Partners, Hackley Campus (Muskegon) - Mercy Health Partners, Muskegon Campus - Mercy Health Partners, Lakeshore Campus (Shelby) - St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor - St. Joseph Mercy Livingston - St. Joseph Mercy Oakland - St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron - St. Mary Mercy Livonia - Saint Mary’s Health Care (Grand Rapids) The implementation of the contract will be overseen at Trinity Health by Faja and Roger Spoelman, President and CEO, Mercy Health Partners (Muskegon) and Trinity Health Market Executive, West Michigan. About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit organization, provides and administers health benefits to more than 4.4 million members residing in Michigan in addition to members of Michigan-headquartered groups who reside outside the state. BCBSM also offers dental, vision and hearing plans. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com or MiBCN.com. About Trinity Health-Michigan Trinity Health is Michigan’s leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers, providing the full continuum of care for Michigan’s residents, with 12 hospitals and numerous ambulatory sites, nine nursing homes, 19 senior housing facilities, eight home health care agencies and four hospices serving 35 counties. More than 27,000 associates provide care to one in 11 Michigan residents. Nationally, Trinity Health is one of the nation’s largest Catholic health care systems with 49 acute-care hospitals, hundreds of outpatient facilities, 26 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs based in 10 states. ###

IHA and MMP Announce Agreement to Investigate Merger

2012-05-01 13:53:06.0

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – (May 1, 2012) – IHA, the area’s leading physician group practice, and Michigan Multispecialty Physicians (MMP) PC, the area’s leading, private multi-specialty group practice, both of Ann Arbor, Mich., are pleased to announce the execution of a Memorandum of Agreement to investigate all aspects of a full integration of their organizations. Upon the successful conclusion of this process, the integration is expected to be effective on or before the end of the year. The proposed combination links IHA’s well-established, 32 primary and specialty care offices with MMP’s extensive specialty and sub-specialty service practices. The resulting unified organization would have dramatically enhanced capabilities to meet patient needs across southeastern Michigan. A shared infrastructure would improve patient services; result in a unified electronic health record system; and lead to administrative efficiencies. “With an ever expanding history of working together, the proposed integration would enable our groups to work much more closely to improve care and deliver greater value to consumers” said Bill Fileti, IHA’s president and CEO. MMP’s Board Chairman, Dr. Paul Valenstein said, “patients and payers want health care that is more responsive, more effective, and considerably less expensive. MMP and IHA are seeking synergies that meet all of these needs.” Dr. Mary Durfee, IHA’s executive vice president and chief medical officer, noted that, “by working off a common clinical infrastructure with shared, best-practice care protocols, a combined IHA and MMP would deliver better, more coordinated care for our patients and achieve ever-higher clinical quality goals and patient satisfaction results.” “Both organizations have been successful for years, but we need to move in another direction,” said John M. Emerson, president and CEO, MMP. “The value of integration is that a large group of primary care physicians and specialists with the same vision, strong leadership, and unified resources can achieve sustained clinical and financial improvement. We believe we can respond more effectively to the evolving health care landscape as one seamless organization.” Rob Casalou, president and CEO, of St. Joseph Mercy - Ann Arbor, Saline and Livingston hospitals, welcomed this development. “Consolidations in the health care field are happening on a daily basis as the industry responds to market forces. I am excited to see these two high-quality groups come together to combine their strengths. This is in the best interest of our patients, providers and staff, as well as the communities we serve.” This initiative is one of the many ways IHA is developing to complete its transformation into one of the nation’s leading multispecialty group practices. Research shows that large multispecialty groups deliver higher health care quality at lower cost. “IHA has a full pipeline of external opportunities to complement a long list of internally generated expansion initiatives. IHA’s continuing growth is designed to bring the enhanced multispecialty group benefits to our community,” Fileti concluded.

Mercy Health System and Trinity Health Finalize Affiliation

2012-04-02 14:44:01.0

Chicago, April 2, 2012 – Mercy Health System officially became part of Trinity Health, a large Catholic health care system, effective April 1. Through this combination, Mercy Health and Trinity Health hope to continue the healing ministry of Mercy Hospital, providing access to high quality care for the surrounding community and strengthening Catholic health care in Chicago, according to the two organizations. “This affiliation will better enable Mercy Hospital to continue building on its strong 160-year history of service to the Chicago community despite all the changes and challenges facing health care,’’ said Sister Sheila Lyne, RSM, President & CEO of Mercy Health System. “Our belief is that this affiliation will enable Mercy to continue to live out its vision of providing quality care to our community here in Chicago.” Today’s announcement brings a close to a process that began in November with the filing of a Letter of Intent to consolidate. Since then, Mercy and Trinity Health have received the required regulatory approvals, finalized a Definitive Agreement, and obtained approvals from each organization’s board. “We are excited to welcome Mercy associates, physicians and patients to the Trinity Health family,” said Joseph R. Swedish, Trinity Health President and CEO. “Our systems share an unrelenting focus on excellent care and a commitment to strengthening Catholic health care. We look forward to building on the strong relationship we have already established and to the great promise our partnership holds for the Chicago-area community.” Trinity Health and Mercy have had an effective and collaborative relationship since 2009 when Trinity Health began providing Mercy with group purchasing opportunities. More recently, Trinity Health has also provided Mercy with information services leadership support. “This partnership will help us have access to the resources and efficiencies of scale that will be needed to maintain the healing ministry of Jesus Christ as health care challenges increase,” said Sister Sheila Lyne. About Mercy Health System Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago’s first teaching hospital, has served Chicago for 160 years. With 479 licensed beds, Mercy is a Level II Trauma center, complete with a comprehensive network including the Mercy Family Health Center, a look-alike Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), the Mercy Foundation, Inc., the philanthropic arm of the hospital, eleven auxiliary care facilities, MercyWORKS occupational health program, and two school-based health centers in Wendell Phillips and Dunbar Vocational Career Academies. Mercy has a teaching affiliation with the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Mercy’s medical residency program includes internal medicine, OB/GYNE, podiatry, and trains over one hundred residents each year, including independent residencies in emergency medicine, surgery, and radiology. In its century and a half of serving Chicago, Mercy has been a pioneer in health care with many firsts, including the first Oncology Unit in Chicago, the first FDA-approved carotid artery stenting procedure in Chicago, and the first in Chicago to perform Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site Surgery. For the past 6 years, Mercy has served as the lead agency for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program screening and treating more women than any other agency in the state of Illinois. Mercy continues its legacy of being a leader in Patient Safety with a Stage 6 Designation of the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model, putting Mercy within the top 3.5% of hospitals in the nation. Mercy is also home to a certified Stroke Center, a superior Cardiovascular Institute with an Accredited Chest Pain Center, a Diabetes Treatment Center Accredited for Excellence and a leading Cancer Center also Accredited for Excellence. To learn more about Mercy, visit www.mercy-chicago.org or become a fan of the Mercy Hospital Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/MercyChicago . About Trinity Health Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health is one of the largest Catholic health systems in the United States. It operates 49 acute-care hospitals, 432 outpatient facilities, 32 long-term care facilities, and numerous home care offices and hospice programs in 10 states and employs more than 56,000 full-time staff. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2011, this included more than $453 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth. ###

U-M Health System and Trinity Health-Michigan Sign Master Affiliation Agreement

2012-03-05 13:17:40.0

Agreement forms a basis for future efforts to coordinate hospital care, children’s care, cancer care, health research, doctor training & hiring, and more

ANN ARBOR and NOVI, Mich. — The University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) and Trinity Health-Michigan have signed a new master affiliation agreement that paves the way for close cooperation between the two health systems that will benefit patients around the state.

The agreement signals an intention to work together on specific opportunities that may be developed by teams of physicians and leaders from both systems.

The goal: to use the complementary strengths and geographic location of UMHS and Trinity-Michigan services to help patients get the care they need in the most appropriate place. They will also seek to improve the safety net for the uninsured. That effort will begin with southeastern Michigan, where both health systems are based, and grow to the rest of the state.

Initially, they will explore areas that include inpatient hospital capacity, high-complexity care for the most seriously ill patients, children’s care, cancer care, physician training and hiring, clinical research and support services such as information technology.

The affiliation also positions UMHS and Trinity-Michigan to take advantage of new federal and state programs, such as accountable care organizations or ACOs, that incentivize health systems to provide better and more coordinated care for entire populations of patients while also containing the growth of costs.

“We are thrilled to embark on this level of affiliation, which makes us Trinity’s preferred academic partner in Michigan and sets the stage for great things to come,” says Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., the executive vice president for medical affairs at U-M and CEO of UMHS. “This makes possible so many opportunities that could benefit patients statewide by providing the care they need at the best place for them, ensuring our future supply of physicians and creating new knowledge from research.”

“From Saint Joseph Mercy Health System on the east side to Mercy Health on the west side, our organizations throughout Michigan have enjoyed a long-standing and positive relationship with the U-M Health System,” says Garry C. Faja, President and CEO of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and Regional Market Executive, Trinity Health-East Michigan. “We are excited about the opportunity to work more closely together to better meet the needs of patients and the communities we serve.”

UMHS, which has three hospitals in Ann Arbor and a network of primary care and specialty outpatient centers in three counties, provides some of the most advanced care in the nation – care that addresses some of the most severe illnesses and conditions. Trinity Health’s Michigan-wide presence extends from Saint Joseph Mercy Health System in the metro Detroit area with hospitals in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Howell, Livonia, Pontiac, Port Huron and Saline; up to Grayling and Cadillac in northern Michigan, and to the west with Mercy Health in Grand Rapids and Muskegon.

With a state-wide base of hospitals and associated services under one affiliation agreement, the two health systems now have a wide range of options for designing new models of care to better serve patients. Both health systems will now contribute members to a leadership group that will approve all proposed cooperative agreements, and to teams that will work on specific proposals.

# # #

About Trinity Health-Michigan
Trinity Health is a leading Michigan health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers, providing the full continuum of care for Michigan’s residents, with 14 hospitals and numerous ambulatory sites, nine nursing homes, 19 senior housing facilities, eight home health care agencies and four hospices serving 35 counties. More than 27,000 associates provide care to one in 11 Michigan residents. Nationally, Trinity Health is one of the nation’s largest Catholic health care systems with 47 acute-care hospitals, hundreds of outpatient facilities, 26 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs based in 10 states.

About the University of Michigan Health System
For more than 160 years, the U-M Health System has been a national leader in advanced patient care, innovative research to improve human health and comprehensive education of physicians and medical scientists. UMHS includes the U-M Hospitals & Health Centers, with its three hospitals and dozens of outpatient health centers and clinics throughout Michigan; the U-M Medical School with its Faculty Group Practice and research laboratories; shared administrative services; and the Michigan Health Corporation. The three U-M hospitals -- University Hospital, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital – have been recognized numerous times for excellence in patient care, including 17 years on the U.S. News & World Report honor roll of "America's Best Hospitals". The U-M Medical School is one of the nation's biomedical research powerhouses, with total research funding of more than $490 million. Together, the 22,000 members of the UMHS community are creating the future of health care through discovery.

Mercy Health System and Trinity Health Sign Letter of Intent

2011-11-03 15:12:10.0

Chicago, November 3, 2011 – Mercy Health System and Trinity Health (Novi, Mich.) have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) that could lead to Mercy Hospital & Medical Center joining Trinity Health. The LOI provides a framework to begin the formal process of creating the operating model for the affiliation of the two organizations. Together, Mercy Health and Trinity Health would continue the healing ministry of Mercy Hospital, providing access to care for the surrounding community and strengthening Catholic health care in Chicago, according to leaders of both organizations. “Mercy Hospital has been privileged to serve Chicagoans for 159 years, as the first teaching hospital in Chicago, and a leader in the city’s health care market,” said Sister Sheila Lyne, RSM, President & CEO of Mercy Health System. “While we stand strong today, we realize that with the uncertainties of health care reform and the challenges facing stand-alone hospitals, we need to be responsible and consider an affiliation with a larger Catholic health system. Joining our ministry of healing with Trinity Health would provide us with the strong base of support needed to ensure we can continue to serve our community.” With the LOI in place, leaders representing both Mercy and Trinity Health will further evaluate the potential for affiliation and complete a number of necessary steps, including filing for regulatory approvals. If all steps progress as planned, the affiliation could be completed in spring 2012. “With this potential affiliation with Mercy Chicago, Trinity Health continues its commitment to strengthening Catholic health care in the Chicago area and across the nation,” said Joseph R. Swedish, President and CEO, Trinity Health. “Our two systems share an unrelenting focus on excellent care so an affiliation at this time makes good sense for the organizations, as well as for the associates, physicians, patients and communities served by Mercy Hospital.” Trinity Health and Mercy share complementary missions and similarities in legacy and have had a strong collaborative relationship for several years. Since April 2009, Trinity Health has provided group purchasing opportunities to Mercy. It also provides information services leadership support. “Trinity Health has roots with the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas so our missions are aligned and our commitment to strengthening Catholic health care is passionately shared,” said Sister Sheila. “We are pleased to enter into this Letter of Intent and begin the due diligence process. We believe that an affiliation between Mercy and Trinity Health will enhance the solid blueprint of Catholic health care in Chicago to the benefit of all we serve.” About Mercy Health System Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago’s first teaching hospital, has served Chicago for 159 years. With 479 licensed beds, Mercy is a Level II Trauma center, complete with a comprehensive network including the Mercy Family Health Center, a look-alike Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), the Mercy Foundation, Inc., the philanthropic arm of the hospital, eleven auxiliary care facilities, MercyWORKS occupational health program, and two school-based health centers in Wendell Phillips and Dunbar Vocational Career Academies. Mercy has a teaching affiliation with the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Mercy’s medical residency program includes internal medicine, OB/GYNE, podiatry, and trains over one hundred residents each year, including independent residencies in emergency medicine, surgery, and radiology. In its century and a half of serving Chicago, Mercy has been a pioneer in health care with many firsts, including the first Oncology Unit in Chicago, the first FDA-approved carotid artery stenting procedure in Chicago, and the first in Chicago to perform Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site Surgery. For the past 6 years, Mercy has served as the lead agency for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program screening and treating more women than any other agency in the state of Illinois. Mercy continues its legacy of being a leader in Patient Safety with a Stage 6 Designation of the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model, putting Mercy within the top 3.5% of hospitals in the nation. Mercy is also home to a certified Stroke Center, a superior Cardiovascular Institute with an Accredited Chest Pain Center, a Diabetes Treatment Center Accredited for Excellence and a leading Cancer Center also Accredited for Excellence. To learn more about Mercy, visit www.mercy-chicago.org or become a fan of the Mercy Hospital Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/MercyChicago . About Trinity Health Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health is one of the largest Catholic health systems in the United States. It operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 401 outpatient facilities, 31 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing more than 53,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health has operating revenue of $9 billion. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2010, this included nearly $460 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth. ###

Trinity Health to Relocate Corporate Offices

2011-10-19 15:31:00.0

October 19, 2011, Novi, Mich. --- Trinity Health announced today that it will consolidate two of its corporate headquarter locations to a single campus in Livonia, Mich. The national, Catholic healthcare system has leased a campus of two adjacent, four-story buildings — 340,000, square feet — at the Victor Corporate Center at 20255 and 20555 Victor Parkway, Livonia, Mich.

The move will affect about 1,400 current Trinity Health associates whose offices are presently situated in Novi and Farmington Hills, but Trinity Health will continue to maintain a presence in Novi, with about 160 information technology positions remaining.

“With the selection of this campus as our home, we are able to bring our corporate teams in closer proximity to one another, leverage the current real estate market and ensure both cost savings and stability, among other goals,” said Joseph R. Swedish, Trinity Health president and CEO. “I am very confident in our decision because it will stabilize costs and help us become more efficient at a crucial moment in health care history.”

It is anticipated that the financial benefits of the move will provide savings of approximately $10 million over the next several years. The new space — the former home of Quicken Loans, located east of I-275 between Seven and Eight Mile Roads — gives Trinity Health the opportunity to increase space efficiency and effectiveness. Renovations will result in space that is efficient, innovative and reflective of Trinity Health’s culture.

“This will be a beneficial change at a critical moment for us,” said Swedish. “It will help us maximize new opportunities for collaboration and make us more efficient, ultimately providing us with the opportunity to better steward our resources so that we can sustain our ministry and continue to fulfill our compassionate Mission.”

Trinity Health will move its employees in the fourth quarter of 2012.

About Trinity Health

Trinity Health is among the largest Catholic health care systems in the country. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 401 outpatient facilities, 31 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing more than 53,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reports about $9.0 billion in unrestricted revenue. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2010, this included nearly $460 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org, follow @TrinityHealthMI on Twitter, or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Trinity Health Ranked No. 35 on Esteemed InformationWeek500

2011-09-14 10:07:21.0

Monarch Beach, CA, September 14, 2011 – Trinity Health, a national Catholic healthcare delivery system with 47 hospitals across ten states, today announced that it ranked 35 on this year’s InformationWeek 500 – a list of the top technology innovators in the U.S.; it ranked No. 5 in the healthcare and medical industry section of the list, revealed last night at a gala awards ceremony at the exclusive InformationWeek 500 Conference taking place at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA.

Trinity Health’s top-50/top-5 placement on the esteemed list is considered testimony to the organization’s commitment to the meaningful use of electronic health records, particularly to its Genesis program, “going live” at Trinity Health-member hospitals across the country.

“Thanks to the diligence and intelligence of our information technology team — and to the willingness to accept change on our clinical staffs’ behalf, Trinity Health hospitals and patients are reaping the benefits of our ten-year-plus commitment to innovation in the implementation our Genesis program,” said Joseph R. Swedish, president and CEO, Trinity Health. “Our people have worked diligently to find the best ways to use and implement electronic health record (EHR) technology and to make it meaningful to the care experience. After ten years of that work, we are truly gratified to have received this recognition from an esteemed organization such as InformationWeek.”

Trinity Health was recognized for its Genesis implementation as represented by the “go live” at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, and, specifically, for the way the program improves care and saves lives. Trinity Health has spent more than $400 million dollars implementing Genesis through an innovative one-hospital-at-a-time approach that has exceeded industry norms and organizational expectations — in efficiency of implementation and in improving patient care — time and time again. A unique approach to implementation helped Trinity Health develop a standard way to unite people, process, culture, and technology — primarily through computerized physician order entry (CPOE). The approach improved quality of care, patient safety, and financial performance on the way. “For 23 years, the InformationWeek 500 has chronicled and honored the most innovative users of business technology,” said InformationWeek Editor In Chief Rob Preston.

“In this day and age, however, being innovative isn’t enough. Companies and their IT organizations need to innovate faster than ever before to stay a step or two ahead of their customers, partners, and competitors. This year’s ranking placed special emphasis on those high-octane business technology innovators.”

InformationWeek identifies and honors the nation's most innovative users of information technology with its annual 500 listing, and also tracks the technology, strategies, investments and administrative practices of America’s best-known companies. Top winners have included: The Vanguard Group, CME Group, Conway, National Semiconductor, Kimberly-Clark, Hilton Hotels and Unum. The InformationWeek 500 rankings are unique among corporate rankings as it spotlights the power of innovation in information technology, rather than simply identifying the biggest IT spenders. Additional details on the InformationWeek 500 can be found online at www.informationweek.com/iw500/.

About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is among the largest Catholic health care systems in the country. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 401 outpatient facilities, 31 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing more than 53,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reported $7.0 billion in unrestricted revenue in fiscal year 2010. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2010, this included nearly $460 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

About InformationWeek Business Technology Network (http://www.informationweek.com/)
The InformationWeek Business Technology Network provides IT executives with unique analysis and tools that parallel their work flow—from defining and framing objectives through to the evaluation and recommendation of solutions. Anchored by InformationWeek, the multimedia powerhouse that looks across the enterprise, the network scales across the most critical technology categories with online properties like DarkReading.com (security), NetworkComputing.com (networking and communications) and PlugintotheCloud.com (cloud computing). The network also provides focused content for key IT targets, such as CIOs, developers, and SMBs via InformationWeek Global CIO, Dr. Dobb's and InformationWeek SMB, as well as vital vertical industries with InformationWeek Financial Services, Government, and Healthcare resources. Content is at the nucleus of our information distribution strategy—IT professionals turn to our experts and communities to stay informed, get advice and research technologies to make strategic business decisions.

New President and CEO for Loyola University Health System

2011-09-09 10:56:44.0

(MAYWOOD, IL) September 8, 2011—Larry M. Goldberg, chief executive officer, Vanderbilt University Hospital, Nashville, Tenn., has been selected as the new president and chief executive officer of Loyola University Health System (LUHS). He will officially join the health system in mid-October 2011.

To LUHS, Goldberg, 49, brings the insight of a veteran of academic medicine as well as the skill of a strategic business leader. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Goldberg led a multi-year strategic positioning initiative for the medical center, including the clinical, academic and research enterprises, aimed at improving profitability. Also while at Vanderbilt, he oversaw the planning and construction of a 141-bed critical-care patient tower and supported the development of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute.

Goldberg knows the Chicago health care market very well. Prior to joining the leadership team at Vanderbilt, Goldberg served as vice president of hospital operations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago. In that role, Goldberg directly managed all support, diagnostic, therapeutic and ambulatory care services. In addition to direct line management, he led critical operational activities, including inpatient capacity, hospital-wide information systems, and program development for the hospital's centers of excellence, including cardiovascular services, neurological sciences, oncology, solid organ transplantation and women's health.

“Larry is a remarkable leader who will serve Loyola University Health System and Trinity Health with distinction and expertise in academic medicine,” said Joseph R. Swedish, president and CEO, Trinity Health. “He also brings a strong commitment to excellent patient care. We are delighted to have him join us.”

Goldberg will replace Daniel G. Hale, who has been serving as LUHS' interim president and CEO since July 1, 2011, when the health system became a part of Trinity Health, an organization of 47 hospitals based in Novi, Mich. Hale is executive vice president of the Trinity Institute for Health and Community Benefits at Trinity Health.

Goldberg received his Master of Health Administration Degree from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, in 1990 and his bachelor of science degree in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1985. He served on the board of the Hospital Alliance of Tennessee since 2005 and was its chairman from 2008-2010. Goldberg also is the current chairman of the board of Middle Tennessee e-Health Connect, a position he has held since 2010. A frequent presenter and lecturer, Goldberg is a thought leader on healthcare reform and the economics of medicine.

He remains involved with numerous charitable organizations including the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the Partnership to Educate & Advance Kids, and is the founding member of the board of directors for the Joseph G. Nicholas Foundation for the Promotion of Youth Education.

About Loyola University Health System
Loyola University Health System, a member of Trinity Health, is a quaternary care system based in the western suburbs. It includes a 61-acre main medical center campus, the 36-acre Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus and 22 primary and specialty care facilities in Cook, Will and DuPage counties. The medical center campus is conveniently located in Maywood, 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop and 8 miles east of Oak Brook, Ill. The heart of the medical center campus, Loyola University Hospital, is a 569-licensed-bed facility. It houses a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Burn Center and the Ronald McDonald® Children’s Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center. Also on campus are the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola Outpatient Center, Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine and Loyola Oral Health Center as well as the LUC Stritch School of Medicine, the LUC Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and the Loyola Center for Fitness. Loyola's Gottlieb campus in Melrose Park includes the 264-licensed-bed community hospital, the Professional Office Building housing 150 private practice clinics, the Adult Day Care, the Gottlieb Center for Fitness and Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Care Center.

About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is the fifth-largest Catholic health care system in the country. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 401 outpatient facilities, 31 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing more than 53,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reported $7.0 billion in unrestricted revenue in fiscal year 2010. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2010, this included nearly $460 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Consolidation of Trinity Health and Loyola University Health System

2011-07-01 08:11:56.0

Partnership Will Strengthen Catholic Health Care and Health Sciences Education in Chicago Area

CHICAGO, July 1, 2011 – Loyola University Chicago (LUC) and Trinity Health, based in Novi, Mich., have announced that Loyola University Health System (LUHS), located in Maywood, Ill., has become a part of Trinity Health, effective today. LUHS was formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of the University.

With the consolidation, Trinity Health and LUHS join forces to bring increased resources and greater efficiencies for patients who rely on the health system's cutting-edge treatments and exceptional care. At the same time, Trinity Health and LUHS will work closely with LUC’s recently reorganized Health Sciences Division to support health-sciences education and research. The entities will work collaboratively to become one of the nation’s leading providers of Catholic health care, research, and medical education. “This collaboration holds great promise for the future and is an excellent foundation for growth to better serve the Chicago-area community,” said Joseph R. Swedish, president and CEO of Trinity Health.

“The consolidation brings together two strong Catholic health systems committed to investing in patient care, infrastructure, facilities, and research. I am confident that, together, Trinity Health, LUC, and LUHS will become a leader for Catholic collaboration in Chicago and across the nation.”

Per the agreement, Trinity Health becomes the owner of LUHS, while the Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, along with several key research programs and initiatives, will remain within the University. The organizations will remain interconnected, as Trinity Health will also support these schools by investing in health-sciences education and research, and LUHS physicians will continue to have faculty roles within Stritch.

“Loyola University Chicago has been providing outstanding medical education and research for more than 100 years,” said Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., president of Loyola University Chicago. “We recently reorganized Loyola’s Health Sciences Division to clarify and enhance the University's academic and research enterprise at the medical center campus and to establish a strong University partner aligned fully with LUHS’s clinical operations and patient care. We have an optimal structure for educating physicians, nurses, and other health care workers and for conducting game-changing health care research to benefit our local communities and beyond.”

Today’s announcement brings a close to a process that began in March with the filing of a Letter of Intent to consolidate. Since then, LUC and Trinity Health have received the required regulatory approvals, finalized a Definitive Agreement, and obtained approvals from the LUC and Trinity Health boards.

About Loyola University Chicago (LUC.edu)
Committed to preparing people to lead extraordinary lives, Loyola University Chicago, founded in 1870, is the nation's largest Jesuit, Catholic university. Enrollment is nearly 16,000 students, which includes more than 10,000 undergraduates hailing from all 50 states and 82 countries. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy. Loyola also serves as the U.S. host university to The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies in Beijing, China, and now features an academic center in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Loyola's 10 schools and colleges include arts and sciences, business administration, communication, education, graduate studies, law, medicine, nursing, continuing and professional studies, and social work. Loyola offers 71 undergraduate majors, 71 undergraduate minors, 85 master's degrees, and 31 doctoral degrees. Loyola is consistently ranked among the "top national universities" by U.S.News & World Report, and the University is among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations, such as the Carnegie Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service. For more information about Loyola, please visit LUC.edu.

About Trinity Health (trinity-health.org)
Trinity Health is the fourth-largest Catholic health care system in the country. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 47 acute-care hospitals, 379 outpatient facilities, 31 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in 10 states. Employing more than 56,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reported $7.0 billion in unrestricted revenue in fiscal year 2010. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2010, this included nearly $460 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

About Loyola University Health System (loyolamedicine.org)
Based in the western suburbs of Chicago, Loyola University Health System is a quaternary-care system with a 61-acre main medical center campus, a 36-acre Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus, and 22 primary and specialty care facilities in Cook, Will, and DuPage counties. The -more- main medical center campus is conveniently located in Maywood, 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop and 8 miles east of Oak Brook, Ill. The heart of the main medical center campus, Loyola University Hospital, is a 570-licensed bed facility. It houses a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Burn Center, and the Ronald McDonald® Children’s Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center. Also on campus are the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola Outpatient Center, Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, and Loyola Oral Health Center, as well as the LUC Stritch School of Medicine and the Loyola Center for Health & Fitness. Loyola's Gottlieb campus in Melrose Park includes the 250-bed community hospital, the Gottlieb Health & Fitness Center, and the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Care Center. The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is located on the University’s Lake Shore Campus. A new nursing school building is being constructed on the Maywood Campus.

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Joseph R. Swedish Elected Trustee

2011-06-08 09:40:54.0

Trinity Health’s Joseph R. Swedish Named Vice Chair of Catholic Health Association June 7, 2011, Novi, Mich. --- Trinity Health President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph R. Swedish has been chosen Vice Chairperson/Chairperson-Elect of the Catholic Health Association (CHA) for fiscal year 2011-12. The election, held yesterday, was part of the 2011 Catholic Health Assembly in Atlanta, June 5 - 7. Swedish will lead the CHA board as its chair in fiscal year 2012-13. “As we face a future that has one certainty — change — I have every confidence that Joe’s leadership in CHA will be beneficial to all Catholic health organizations, and to health care throughout the nation, as he is particularly gifted at leading effective change while retaining and strengthening our commitment to our sacred work,” said Mary Mollison, CSA, Chair of Trinity Health Board of Directors. “His expertise throughout his long career in health care, coupled with his leadership style and highly-regarded reputation, will be of great value to Catholic health care, to Trinity Health and to all of those we serve.” CHA's board develops the organization’s strategic directions, ensuring CHA’s fidelity to its Mission, stewards CHA’s resources and performs other governance activities to support and strengthen the Catholic health ministry in the United States. It consists of 24 trustees, including Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, CHA President and Chief Executive Officer. In fiscal year 2011-12, Robert B. Stanek, retired President and CEO, Catholic Health East, Newtown Square, Pa., will serve as chair. CHA, founded in 1915, supports the Catholic health ministry’s commitment to improve the health status of communities and create quality and compassionate health care that works for everyone. The Catholic health ministry is the nation's largest group of not-for-profit health systems and facilities that, along with their sponsoring organizations, employ more than 750,000 women and men who deliver services combining advanced technology with the Catholic caring tradition. Swedish, who has more than 37 years in health care, is recognized by CHA for his legacy of vibrant leadership and service excellence. Under his direction, Trinity Health has leveraged its scale and skill to provide efficient and effective quality care, implement innovative Health Information Technology programs and establish critical Diversity and Inclusion priorities. Prior to joining Trinity Health in 2005,Swedish served as President and CEO of Centura Health in Colorado and, previously, held a variety of senior executive positions in both investor-owned and non-profit health care systems. His experience spans faith-based and secular health care, university and community-based academic medical centers, integrated delivery systems and regional rural referral. In addition to the CHA board, Swedish currently serves as a member of the National Quality Forum Board, the Health Research and Education Trust, the Equity of Care Committee and the Health System Governing Council for the American Hospital Association, and the Coventry Health Care Board of Directors. Read the CHA release at http://www.chausa.org/Pages/Newsroom/Releases/2011/CHA_Installs_Chairperson,_Elects_Vice-Chairperson_and_Trustees/ ### About Trinity Health Trinity Health is the fifth-largest Catholic health care system in the country. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 46 acute-care hospitals, 379 outpatient facilities, 31 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in nine states. Employing more than 47,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reported $7.0 billion in unrestricted revenue in fiscal year 2010. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2010, this included nearly $460 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Trinity Health’s Gay Landstrom Receives Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award

2011-04-07 09:49:26.0

April 7, 2011, Novi, Mich. --- Gay Landstrom, MS, RN, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer for Trinity Health, was presented with Sigma Theta Tau Rho Chapter’s coveted Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award in a ceremony Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor, Mich. Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) is the national honor society for nursing, and is the second largest nursing organization in the world. The award, presented to Landstrom by the -University of Michigan-based RHO chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, recognizes nursing leaders who: - Achieve local, national and/or international recognition as a nursing leader in education, practice, administration or research; - Influence leadership in nursing through visionary and innovative approaches to leadership; - Create an environment that enhances the image of nursing - Participate in the development of nursing leaders and leadership Landstrom is responsible for patient care services throughout Trinity Health’s network of Ministry Organizations and, in that role, has led a number of quality care initiatives. She has also been instrumental in the redesign of Trinity Health’s patient care delivery model and is credited for helping Trinity Health achieve a 31 percent reduction in patient falls with injury, a 45 percent reduction in pressure ulcers and an 80 percent reduction in extended stays due to catheter associated urinary tract infections following elective surgeries. “Gay’s passion for excellence and innovation is a gift to Trinity Health, the nursing profession and to patients,” said P. Terrence O’Rourke, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for Trinity Health. “She has sought excellence in care from so many angles, and has worked tirelessly to mentor and coach Trinity Health’s other nurse leaders, paving the way for excellence in the years to come. This award is well-deserved.” Prior to serving in her current role, Landstrom held several other important positions within Trinity Health. From 1998 to 2006, she was Chief Nursing Officer of Mercy Health Partners in Muskegon, where she redesigned the patient care delivery and care management models and helped implement a Leadership Development Institute. She also implemented processes for evidence-based nursing practice, developed an innovative LPN-to-RN, a minority RN mentoring program, and helped lead the expansion of heart and vascular services, including the Sleep Disorders Center, Weight Management program and CHF Clinic. During her time as Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, from 1994 to 1998, Landstrom was involved in the development of the Cancer Care Center and the Joint Care Center programs, a redesign of the patient care delivery model, and the startup and expansion of an MHA-recognized Healthy Start program. She also helped develop an acute care and community based case management system. “I am honored to be recognized,” said Landstrom. “At Trinity Health, our patients are the central focus of everything we do and this prestigious award — from one of the most respected organizations in nursing — validates that we’re on the right track in maintaining excellence in patient care. It’s always nice to be recognized by your peers for doing the right thing.” Landstrom received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Rush University in Chicago. She earned her master’s degree in nursing administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is currently is attending the University of Michigan, completing a Ph.D. in Nursing. She has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau since 1983. ### About Trinity Health Trinity Health is the fourth-largest Catholic health care system in the country. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 46 acute-care hospitals, 379 outpatient facilities, 33 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in nine states. Employing more than 47,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reported $7.0 billion in unrestricted revenue in fiscal year 2010. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal 2010, this included nearly $460 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

Loyola University Chicago and Trinity Health Sign Letter of Intent

2011-03-04 11:35:15.0

Media Contacts: Maeve Kiley, Director of Communication, Loyola University Chicago, 312.915.7712 or mkiley2@luc.edu Stephen Shivinsky, VP, Corp. Comm. & PR, Trinity Health, 248.496.3051 or shivinss@trinity-health.org Anne Dillon, Director, Media Services, Loyola University Health System, 708.441.7651 oradillon@lumc.edu

Loyola University Chicago and Trinity Health Sign Letter of Intent
Loyola University Health System and Trinity Health Consolidation to Strengthen Catholic Health Care
in Chicago and Beyond

CHICAGO, March 4, 2011 – Loyola University Chicago (LUC) and Trinity Health (Novi,Mich.) have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) that could lead to the consolidation of Trinity Health and the Loyola University Health System (LUHS), a wholly owned subsidiary of the University.

The LOI provides a framework for the partnership and begins the formal process of creating the operating model for consolidating the two organizations.

Together, LUC, Trinity Health, and LUHS (Maywood, Ill.) would strive to become one of the nation’s leading providers of Catholic health care, research, and medical education and a model for physician, provider, and community collaboration.

“After a number of conversations with both local and national Catholic health-care systems, LUC determined a partnership with Trinity Health provides the greatest opportunity to invest in and grow the Loyola University Health System while securing the future of the University’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing,” said Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., president of Loyola University Chicago. “The consolidation would call for substantial investments to advance the future of health sciences and medical research, including $150 million for a state-of-the-art medical research enterprise on the medical center campus in Maywood.”

With the LOI in place, leaders representing the three organizations are further evaluating the potential for consolidation and are completing a number of necessary steps, including filing for regulatory approvals, drafting a Definitive Agreement, planning for transition, and obtaining LUC and Trinity Health board approval.

“The health-care industry is going through accelerated change across the country, and so we believe that now is the right time for LUC and Trinity Health to seize the opportunity to strengthen Catholic health care,” said Joseph R. Swedish, president and CEO of Trinity Health.

“While there is much work ahead during this transition period, I am confident that together, Trinity Health, in collaboration with LUC and LUHS, will become a catalyst for Catholic collaboration in Chicago and across the nation.”

The consolidation will allow LUHS to accelerate progress on its strategic goals.

“This is a natural collaboration that is occurring at a pivotal point in our history. When Trinity Health’s resources are combined with Loyola’s renowned physicians and intellectual capital, our plan for growth in patient care, education, and research take a giant leap forward,” said Paul K. Whelton, MB, MD, MSc, president and CEO of LUHS and senior vice president for health sciences at LUC.

The two health-care systems would complement each other and leverage their collective talent and size:

- Trinity Health, based in Novi, Mich., is the fourth-largest Catholic health system in the United States with operating revenue of more than $7.1 billion and 48,000 employees. It has one of the nation’s most extensive electronic medical record systems and has been recognized by several national organizations for top quality and patient safety. Trinity Health's strong operating results and AA bond rating allow favorable access to financing and the ability to make needed capital, research, and medical education investments.

- LUHS is a leading Jesuit academic medical center with a multidisciplinary focus on delivering outstanding patient care, leading-edge research and rigorous medical, nursing, and graduate education. The system has one of the largest networks of practice sites in the region with a total of 28 facilities. LUHS serves as the training ground for students at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. The Medical Center campus in Maywood includes the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, the Ronald McDonald??Children’s Hospital of Loyola, a leading Burn/Trauma Center, and the Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine. LUHS has a second medical campus in Melrose Park, Ill., which is the home of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.

Trinity Health, LUC, and LUHS expect the consolidation to result in the implementation of new, innovative, and efficient health-care delivery models both regionally and nationally. Leaders of both organizations will collaborate to better serve people in our local communities, including those who are underserved and uninsured, and to strengthen and preserve both research and education.

About Loyola University Chicago

Committed to preparing people to lead extraordinary lives, Loyola University Chicago, founded in 1870, is the nation's largest Jesuit, Catholic university. Enrollment is nearly 16,000 students, which includes more than 10,000 undergraduates hailing from all 50 states and 82 countries. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy. Loyola also serves as the U.S. host university to The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies in Beijing, China, and now features an academic center in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Loyola's 10 schools and colleges include arts and sciences, business administration, communication, education, graduate studies, law, medicine, nursing, continuing and professional studies, and social work. Loyola offers 71 undergraduate majors, 71 undergraduate minors, 85 master's degrees, and 31 doctoral degrees. Loyola is consistently ranked among the "top national universities" by U.S.News & World Report, and the University is among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations, such as the Carnegie Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service. For more information about Loyola, please visit LUC.edu.

About Trinity Health (trinity-health.org)

Trinity Health is the fourth-largest Catholic health-care system in the country. Based in Novi, Michigan, Trinity Health operates 46 acute-care hospitals, 379 outpatient facilities, 33 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in nine states. Employing more than 48,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reported $7.1 billion in unrestricted revenue in fiscal year 2010. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In fiscal year 2010, this included nearly $456 million in such community benefits. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org or become a fan of the Trinity Health Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trinityhealth.

About Loyola University Health System

Based in the western suburbs of Chicago, Loyola University Health System is a quaternary care system with a 61-acre main medical center campus, a 36-acre Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus, and 28 primary and specialty care facilities in Cook, Will and DuPage counties. The main medical center campus is conveniently located in Maywood, 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop and 8 miles east of Oak Brook, Ill. The heart of the main medical center campus, Loyola University Hospital, is a 570-licensed bed facility. It houses a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Burn Center and the Ronald McDonald® Children’s Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center. Also on campus are the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola Outpatient Center, Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine and Loyola Oral Health Center as well as the LUC Stritch School of Medicine and the Loyola Center for Health & Fitness. Loyola's Gottlieb campus in Melrose Park includes the 250-bed community hospital, the Gottlieb Health & Fitness Center and the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Care Center. The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is located on the University’s Lake Shore Campus. A new nursing school building will break ground in spring 2011 on the Maywood Campus.

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Read our fact sheet.

BCHS, Bronson to Form New Regional Health Care System

2010-12-15 12:56:41.0

For more information, contact: Peter Phelps Battle Creek Health System Communications & PR 269-966-8131 Erin Smith Bronson Corporate Communications (269) 341-8747 or (269) 217-8716 (BATTLE CREEK, MI) - Battle Creek Health System today announced the selection of Bronson as its new partner. The two have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to develop a new regional health care system. The LOI provides a framework for the partnership and begins the formal process of creating the operating model for merging the two organizations. The vision for the partnership is to create a health care system that delivers better coordination of care for patients throughout Southwest Michigan. “For the past 18 months, BCHS trustees, including Trinity Health, physician and executive leaders have been engaged in a thoughtful, strategic review of our marketplace and the future of health care services,” said Neil Nyberg, chair of the BCHS Community Partners board of trustees. “Throughout this process, the goal was to assure that the very best health care is available in our community, a commitment Bronson also shares.” BCHS chose Bronson based upon a number of factors including: • a shared dynamic vision of a coordinated, regional system that works better for patients, • Bronson’s commitment to continuously improve the patient experience, its national reputation for quality, and the breadth and depth of specialty and sub-specialty services it provides in this region, and • common core values that include a long-standing commitment to community governance and a mission to ensure quality care is available to all persons regardless of their ability to pay. According to Nelson Karre, chair of the BCHS board of trustees, “Bronson’s national reputation for quality and high level regional services such as the children’s hospital, heart care, neurosurgery, and critical care make it an outstanding ‘fit’ with what we offer in Battle Creek. In addition, as our boards discussed a partnership, we found mutual intentions that will go a long way toward guiding our actions together into the future.” Bronson President and CEO Frank J. Sardone said, “This partnership with BCHS will enable Bronson to take our longstanding commitment to quality to an even higher level. Working together for the greater good of our patients will help us achieve optimal use and coordination of health care resources regionally. That means better meeting our patients’ needs by providing the right care in the right place at the right time. By maximizing the clinical strengths of each organization, we expect to create a regional health care system that delivers a superior patient experience at all points of care.” “The Bronson board of directors enthusiastically endorses this partnership and the many ways it will bring to life our vision for enhancing health care services in the region,” says Barbara James, chair of the Bronson board of directors. “We also hope this announcement marks the coming together of not just two health systems, but two communities. From our perspective, that is a legacy we can all be proud of.” Bronson will become the ‘operating partner’ of the new regional system by purchasing 51% of BCHS. Specifically, Bronson will purchase the 50% share held by Trinity Health – and 1% of the BCHS Community Partners holdings. Community Partners will join the Bronson board of directors resulting in a more regionally focused board. During the coming months, legal, operational, and strategic work on the new partnership will get underway and afford opportunities to engage employees, medical staffs, and communities in discussion about the new regional system. Depending upon the pace of due diligence and subject to final legal and regulatory approvals, the proposed new system could be operational as early as the middle of 2011. Until then, both organizations will continue to operate as they have been, but will report on major milestones as they occur. “Patients across Southwest Michigan will be the real winners, as BCHS and Bronson work together to develop an efficient, effective, high-quality health care system that improves care and makes our region even stronger,” concludes Denise Brooks-Williams, BCHS president and CEO. “We very much appreciate Bronson’s commitment to partner with us to improve and grow services in Battle Creek. This is a win-win for all involved, especially our patients and their families.” About Battle Creek Health System (bchealth.com) Battle Creek Health System, a 204-bed, multi-campus health care provider, offers full outpatient and inpatient acute care including robotic surgery, diagnostics, and rehabilitation services; 100% all private rooms. It also offers world-class diagnostic capabilities including PET/CT imaging, freestanding ‘open’ and traditional MRI, CT (16- and 64-slice), IMRT with image guided radiation therapy. BCHS has been recognized nationally as one of the safest hospitals, and has been a leader in the development of electronic health records as evidenced by multiple honors as one of America’s ‘most wired’ and ‘most wireless’ hospitals. The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons recognizes The Cancer Care Center as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer program, the only hospital in Michigan to receive that honor twice. Specialty services include the county’s largest accredited sleep center and a wound-healing center with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. About Bronson Healthcare Group (bronsonhealth.com) Bronson Healthcare Group in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a not-for-profit, tertiary healthcare system serving southwest Michigan and northern Indiana. With a workforce of nearly 5,000 and a medical staff of more than 750, Bronson is one of the area's largest employers. It offers a full range of services from primary care to advanced critical care and has multiple service locations. Bronson serves the largest percentage of Medicaid patients in the area and provides a substantial benefit to the community through outreach and charitable care. Bronson Methodist Hospital in downtown Kalamazoo, Mich., is the flagship hospital for the health system. With 405 licensed beds and all private rooms, it provides care in virtually every specialty and offers advanced capabilities in critical care as a Level I Trauma Center; in neurological care as a Joint Commission certified Primary Stroke Center; in cardiac care as the region’s first accredited Chest Pain Emergency Center; in obstetrics as the leading BirthPlace and only high-risk pregnancy center in the region, and in pediatrics as one of only five children's hospitals in the state. It is the recipient of the 2005 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest presidential honor for quality and organizational performance excellence. In 2009, Bronson received the American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize awarded annually to only one U.S. hospital, was named one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters, and joined the top five percent of hospitals in the nation to be designated a Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence. Bronson is also ranked in the top five percent of hospitals in the nation as a 2009-10 HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence.

Holy Cross Hospital Opens Nation’s First Emergency Room Designed Specifically For Seniors

2010-12-02 10:34:29.0

For more information, contact: Yolanda Gaskins Public Information Officer Holy Cross Hospital 301-754-7123 gaskiy@holycrosshealth.org Watch the video | Washington Post article | National Public Radio Silver Spring, Maryland – Holy Cross Hospital of Silver Spring, Maryland, has become the first hospital in the nation to create an emergency room specifically tailored to serve a growing senior population. Officially opened in early November 2008, the new six-bay Holy Cross Hospital Seniors Emergency Center is a separate, enclosed area of the main Emergency Center that provides safe, efficient emergency services designed to meet the complex, uncertain needs of non-acute elderly patients and those who care for them. Last year, Holy Cross Hospital provided emergency care to more than 12,000 seniors in the emergency center and admitted more than 5,700 senior patients. “Today, only one in every eight people in Montgomery County is over the age of 65,” says hospital president and CEO, Kevin J. Sexton, “but within the next ten years the senior population is expected to grow five times faster than everyone else. Holy Cross Hospital has a 45-year history of meeting the needs of its community. The growing number of seniors in this country presents a tremendous challenge to our health system and it is our responsibility to respond in a way that is both sensitive and sustainable.” During the developmental phase of this project, Holy Cross Hospital formed an advisory team of community seniors and worked closely with internationally renowned eldercare expert Bill H. Thomas, M.D., and his team at The Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “We wanted to use the best thinking, not just from health care, about meeting the needs of seniors,” added Sexton. The Holy Cross Hospital Seniors Emergency Center has a separate entrance just off the main waiting room and, in addition to the six curtained bays, includes a nursing station designed for increased visibility, two private patient rooms and a room for private family consultations. The environment was scientifically designed to reduce anxiety, confusion and risk of falling. Some of the upgrades include special senior-friendly lighting, soft colors, noise abatement features, hand rails and special flooring that reflects light in a way that makes missteps less likely. The Seniors Emergency Center features thicker mattresses to help reduce pressure, a blanket warmer, telephones with larger buttons and special pillow speakers to make listening to music or watching television more comfortable. Bathrooms are more accessible and special signage helps senior eyes find things easier and faster. “It’s really about creating an entire senior emergency room experience,” says Dr. James Del Vecchio, Medical Director of the Emergency Center, adding “that all patients will continue to be triaged upon coming to Holy Cross Hospital Emergency Center and that about 75 percent of triaged seniors will meet the criteria for the Seniors Emergency Center.” In addition to physicians, the senior care team consists of staff dedicated to the Seniors Emergency Center including a geriatric nurse practitioner, registered nurses trained in geriatrics and a geriatric social worker. All provide high quality, competent and compassionate care in an environment that mitigates anxiety for the senior and his or her loved ones. “The challenge with seniors is about avoiding repeat visits,” says Dr. Larry Oufiero, Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Oufiero believes that in fact the discharge process will be central to the Seniors Emergency Center’s success. Before a senior leaves the emergency center, the team will assess the senior’s physical function, cognitive status, level of risk and then refer them to the appropriate level of care. This discharge process assures a seamless transition back to the home or other care setting and substantially lessens the probability of a return visit for the same health issue. “What we hope to do is create a better model of care delivery,” adds Sexton, “a unique and enhanced environment that will support and contribute to the optimum seniors emergency department experience. We realize how great the need is, and that we all must continue to learn and then implement ways to better serve the health needs of our community as a whole and our seniors who need us most.”

Holy Cross Sparks Senior Fit Craze

2010-12-02 10:28:58.0

For more information, contact: Eve Pidgeon, Manager Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6634 (office) pidgeone@trinity-health.org Trinity Health’s Community Benefit Program Sweeps the Nation Sofie’s exercise program gives her a reason to get up in the morning. Jim’s workout has reduced his blood pressure medication by a third. Rozalyn points to her exercise class as the only possible reason for no longer needing shots to control her anemia. In addition to belonging to the same program, these three people have one other thing in common: they are all octogenarians – 89, 81 and 85, respectively. It’s called Senior Fit Trinity and it is the Trinity Health’s first system-wide community benefit program. Developed at Holy Cross Hospital (Silver Spring), this multi-component, evidence-based exercise program for adults 55 years and older has been replicated at Mercy Hospital – Cadillac, Mercy Medical Center – Sioux City, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (Ann Arbor), St. Joseph Mercy Oakland and Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center (South Bend). In fact, Holy Cross Hospital won an Excellence and Innovation Award in the category of Rapid Replication of Innovation for its development and promotion of Senior Fit at the Trinity Health Annual Conference in November. “The program targets a specific and vulnerable population: seniors, who are often medically underserved and socially isolated. Senior Fit Trinity has tremendous potential for impacting seniors across the nation,” said Wendy Friar, Vice President, Community Health, Holy Cross Hospital. “This truly is a universal program because it can be taught to a whole host of people with varying levels of fitness and is conducted at a variety of venues – large and small hospitals, schools, chapels, park department facilities, community centers and more.” Sarah McKechnie, Manager, Community Fitness, Holy Cross Hospital, added, “The purpose is to get seniors from inactive to active. Once they get started, Senior Fit becomes an important part of their lives.” In addition to the obvious physical benefits of exercise, the program also promotes emotional and social advantages. “Exercise can be a key component in battling depression,” McKechnie noted. Aurora, 75, said, “I have been a widow for two years and suffer from depression. This class has helped me to overcome it.” Eighty-nine-year-old Sophie said, “I made a wonderful friend who drives me.” Rozalyn, 85, added, “I am certain that the socialization has improved my attitude.” Jen Hrebec, Exercise Specialist, conducts the program at Mercy-Cadillac. “It seems as though every time I send a ‘report card’ to one of the participant’s physicians with the senior’s pre- and post-test results, the doctor’s office calls me wanting more information about how they can get other patients enrolled,” she said. The size of the program varies at each Ministry Organization. Holy Cross Hospital has an enrollment of 2,400 participants and 19 sites. Saint Joseph-South Bend has two classes at two sites with approximately 500 encounters per month. Saint Joseph-Ann Arbor has one class that meets three times a week with an enrollment of 50. Instructor Bettye Green at Saint Joseph-South Bend, herself a senior, exercises with her class and has lost 30 pounds. “Our two programs are on opposite ends of the city,” she said. “One is African-American and the other is predominantly white. I like to tell each group how well the other one is doing for a bit of friendly competition!” Seventy-three-year-old Harry attends Senior Fit in Silver Spring with his wife. He noted that the program, used as an adjunct to physical therapy for knee, shoulder and spine surgeries, has considerably improved his stamina and flexibility. “I feel like I have enough energy to do whatever I want!” he said. Call to Care Funds are available for Ministry Organizations that want to replicate Senior Fit Trinity, and Holy Cross Hospital provides a complete toolkit and ongoing support.

Cover The Uninsured Week, March 22 – 28 in Michigan

2010-12-02 10:24:37.0

For more information, contact: Patricia McCarthy 313-882-9200 Naomi Ruth 313-874-7178 Rising number of uninsured and underinsured is destabilizing state’s health care safety net; Health Expo for the Uninsured to provide one-stop shopping for health services Detroit, Michigan - The number of uninsured children and adults in Michigan is rising and destabilizing the state’s health care delivery system. More than one million people in Michigan --- one of every 8 people, including 160,000 children --- are uninsured. Leaders from throughout the region representing insurers, health systems, labor, business and the faith community will come together to advocate for change as they launch Cover The Uninsured Week in Michigan at a special News Conference and Health Expo for the Uninsured, Monday, March 23 at Cobo Center from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (News Conference at 10:30 AM). “With the economy worsening, working families are losing access to care, forcing children and adults to put off care for chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes until a health crisis warrants costly emergency care,” says Garry Faja, President and CEO, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and East Michigan Regional Executive of Trinity Health, Novi, Mich. “This situation is not sustainable. We must advocate for change at the federal level to make healthcare delivery more efficient while bringing everyone into the system.” Highlights of Cover The Uninsured Week include: Monday, March 23: News Conference at 10:30 a.m. in the Riverfront Ballroom at Cobo Center. Participants will include Janet Olszewski, Michigan Department of Community Health; U.S. Congressman John Dingell (invited); Wayne County Executive Robert A. Ficano; City of Detroit Mayor Kenneth Cockrel, Jr.; Garry Faja, Trinity Health; and Marianne Udow-Phillips, Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation. Monday, March 23: Health Expo for the Uninsured, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the Riverfront Ballroom, Cobo Center. Free. Open to the public. More than 3,000 people are expected to attend the day-long community event featuring more than 100 exhibitors that provide services ranging from health insurance enrollment in for children and adults, to free and low cost health screenings, to primary care and mental health services, to home care and senior services, to prescription drug information. The Health Expo for the Uninsured is being co-sponsored by Wayne County Department of Health & Human Services, Wayne County Health Choice, the City of Detroit Department of Health & Wellness Promotion, Project Healthy Living, Wayne County Four Star, and the Michigan Cover the Uninsured Network. Monday, March 23: Children’s Health Insurance, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Cobo Center. Learn about low-cost or free health care programs for the uninsured, including enrollment training on how to help someone you know apply in programs such as MIChild and Healthy Kids. Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Community Health. To register, call 1-248-448-4466 or kevery@bcbsm.com. Thursday, March 26, Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 2080 West Grand Blvd. The event is free but reservations required. Sponsored by the Interfaith Health & Hope Coalition. Contact: Ron Beford at (810) 923-6940 or rbeford@yahoo.com. Events during Cover The Uninsured Week are coordinated through the Michigan Cover The Uninsured Network (MCTUN) with a goal to raise awareness and advocate for affordable health coverage for the uninsured. MCTUN focuses on education, advocacy and improving access for the uninsured. Cover The Uninsured Week, March 22 – 28, is a national non-partisan effort to advocate for access to health care for 46 million uninsured nationally. Cover the Uninsured Week 2009 sponsors include: Trinity Health, Novi, Mich., Henry Ford Health System, Beaumont Hospitals, St. John Health, DMC Children’s Hospital, Detroit Regional Chamber, University of Michigan Health System, Michigan Business & Professional Association, Michigan Health & Hospital Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Michigan State Medical Society, Michigan Association of Health Plans, Omnicare Health Plan, Midwest Health Plan, Molina Healthcare, ProCare, Health Plan of Michigan, Health Plus of Michigan, AARP, American Cancer Society-Great Lakes Division, Michigan Nurses Association, Clark Hill PLC, Wayne County Health Choice, Wayne County Medical Society, Total Health, Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation, Greater Detroit Area Health Council, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Health Alliance Plan, Upper Peninsula Health Plan, Wayne County Four Star, Michigan Catholic Conference, I.U.O.E. Local #547, Michigan State AFL-CIO, Michigan Primary Care Association. For information and to join the Michigan Cover the Uninsured Network call 313-874-1677, visit www.mctun.org or www.covertheuninsured.org and click on “Michigan.”

Saint Alphonsus Names New Chief Executive Officer

2010-12-02 10:13:42.0

For more information, contact: Jennifer Krajnik, Public Relations 208-855-6449 (pager) 208-367-6762 (work) Jeffcoat brings leadership, clinical expertise to role Boise, ID — The Chairman of Saint Alphonsus' Board of Trustees, Brent Lloyd, announced today that the nationwide search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer was over. Lloyd said, "On behalf of the Saint Alphonsus Board of Trustees and our CEO search committee, I am pleased to announce that Sally Jeffcoat has accepted the position as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Alphonsus." Most recently, Ms. Jeffcoat served as the Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Healthcare Operations, for Ascension Health headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Prior to assuming system responsibility, from 2003 to 2007, Ms. Jeffcoat was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Carondelet Health Network in Tucson, Arizona. Earlier in her career, Ms. Jeffcoat held CEO positions at faith-based hospitals and at for-profit hospitals in Texas, including six years with Christus Health as the President and CEO of St. Joseph Hospital in Houston. Ms. Jeffcoat received her bachelor's, and her master's degrees, in nursing from the University of Texas. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Lloyd said, "Ms. Jeffcoat's impressive leadership record includes both strategic and operational success on a wide variety of complex issues including: physician alignment, clinical program growth, safety and quality, community needs, and care of the poor and underserved. Her interviews with our search committee, community leaders, senior leadership, physicians, and associates from all levels at Saint Alphonsus, resulted in extremely positive feedback. Ms. Jeffcoat is an extraordinary leader who will engage all of us to meet the enormous challenges facing healthcare in the communities we serve, especially during this difficult economic time." Ms. Jeffcoat will begin as CEO at Saint Alphonsus on June first. About Saint Alphonsus Saint Alphonsus is a 387-licensed bed regional medical center serving people throughout the Northwest. Saint Alphonsus emphasizes care that is patient-centered, innovative and community based. Saint Alphonsus focuses on providing services in a spiritual, healing environment, and is renowned for its state-of-the-art digital environment and pioneering technologies; award-winning clinical services; a nationally accredited Life Flight program and the region’s Trauma Center. For information about Saint Alphonsus visit www.saintalphonsus.org.

Trinity Health Well Prepared for H1N1

2010-12-02 10:09:53.0

For more information, contact:
Kevin DiCola, APR
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications & PR
Trinity Health
248-489-6032
dicolak@trinity-health.org

Response team ensures medications in full supply and precautions taken during flu outbreak

Novi, Michigan - As the probable cases of the influenza A H1N1 virus known as “swine flu” appear in communities across the nation, medical teams and hospital leaders have taken every precaution to contain and prevent its spread.

All caregivers were apprised of infection control policies and HIPAA guidelines on patient privacy, while resource officers and supply chain managers monitored inventories of critical supplies that could be needed in the event of a wider outbreak.

An H1N1 Response Team is sharing updates and health tips via a Swine Flu Response website containing helpful links and resources, which includes access to state and county health departments as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Trinity Health and our acute-care hospitals, urgent care centers and long-term care facilities have been working in a very collaborative way across our national network,” said P. Terrence O’Rourke, MD, Trinity Health Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “Sharing expertise and lessons learned with each other helps us assure our communities that our facilities have the plans and resources in place to do our part managing a widespread outbreak.”

“Additionally, our physicians and nurses are skilled at quickly recognizing the symptoms of illness such as the H1N1 virus. When this flu type or any other strain of influenza is suspected, we are following federal, state and local health department guidelines,” he said.

Tips for staying healthy

Recent reports of outbreaks of swine flu are a good reminder to revisit public health advice on everyday actions you can take to help you stay healthy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide the following suggestions:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious foods.
If you get sick, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Trinity Health Restructures Senior Leadership Team

2010-12-02 10:01:54.0

Michael Slubowski to lead major focus on ambulatory services and physician network Novi, Michigan – Trinity Health is reorganizing its senior leadership team to place more focus on ambulatory services and physician networks, and better align the organization to take a lead role in a new era of care delivery being advanced by health care reform. The changes are effective on July 1, 2009. Trinity Health’s employed physicians, ambulatory and home care services represent nearly half of Trinity Health’s total revenue, necessitating leadership by a dedicated senior executive focused on strategy, growth, coordinating the care continuum, and improving performance in these areas. To lead the effort, Trinity Health has appointed Michael Slubowski to the new role of president of health networks. Slubowski is a Fellow of both the American College of Medical Practice Executives and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has been with Trinity Health for 12 years. Slubowski will lead the development of health networks, including ambulatory services, physician alignment and practice management initiatives, home care, and long-term care initiatives across Trinity Health’s network of 45 member hospitals in seven states. The strategy will include physician alignment in market-based networks that will encompass the more than 8,400 affiliated physicians practicing at Trinity Health facilities. “The creation of this dedicated senior executive role overseeing our substantial operations in ambulatory services, physician networks, home care and long-term care represents an important shift in our strategy as we move more rapidly from a hospital-centric organization to a health delivery organization that emphasizes a distributed, efficient model of care that is more tightly aligned with our physicians,” said Joseph Swedish, president and CEO, Trinity Health. “Mike has a mastery of physician group and ambulatory services management. Coupled with his experience in managing the entire continuum of care, I am confident he will be able to quickly advance these strategies.” Other management moves place more focus on cost control, clinical quality, community benefit programs and growth imperatives. With Slubowski’s focus shifting toward ambulatory and physician network strategies, Trinity Health has established a new position of president of hospital operations to manage day-to-day functions. Named to this position on an interim basis is Rick O’Connell, who has been with Trinity Health since October 2008 as interim COO of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. O’Connell has 35 years of progressive health care experience in executive level roles including president and CEO of three hospital systems: Penrose-St. Francis Health Services in Colorado Springs, Colo., Lucerne Medical Center in Orlando, Fla., and Columbia Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. The realignment includes naming Daniel Hale as executive vice president of the Trinity Institute of Health and Community Benefit. Hale will continue to lead various legal, public policy and advocacy initiatives in addition to his new duties. Other changes include the promotion of chief medical officer Terry O’Rourke, MD, to chief clinical officer overseeing clinical safety and outcomes, clinical informatics and the integration of physicians and patient care executives. Debra Canales, chief human resource officer, has been promoted to chief administrative officer where her current human resource duties will expand to include corporate logistics and the management of various administrative services. “This new reporting structure positions Trinity Health well for future advancement in a rapidly evolving industry,” Swedish said. “Our team is moving in an innovative and challenging direction as we adapt to the many new challenges brought on by economic uncertainty, as well as the evolving nature of health care reform.”

Trinity Health Ranks in Top 10 of Nation’s Finest According to Thomson Reuters

2010-12-02 09:58:55.0

For more information, contact: Kevin DiCola, Manager, Corporate Communications Trinity Health 248-489-6032 dicolak@trinity-health.org Thomson Reuters Gives Trinity Health High Grades in Clinical Quality and Efficiency Trinity Health, the fourth-largest Catholic health system in the country, today was named one of the nation’s best performing hospital systems for the delivery of safe, high quality services. Trinity Health is one of 10 top-ranked health systems in a new report — Thomson Reuters' 100 Top Hospitals: Health Systems Quality/Efficiency Study. The study evaluated 252 health systems — with a total of 1,720 hospitals — on measures of clinical quality and efficiency. The top 10 benchmark systems represent the top 2.5% of the systems studied. This is the first Thomson Reuters study that has attempted to measure health systems of two or more hospitals as entities unto themselves. Five measures of performance were used to evaluate systems: mortality, complications, patient safety, length of stay and use of evidence-based practices. “Trinity Health is among the top quality performers in the nation because of the magnificent commitment of the physicians, nurses and associates at all of our member hospitals to making continuous improvements in quality and safety,” said Joseph Swedish, President and CEO of Trinity Health. Trinity Health provides high tech resources and the latest clinical advances and health information technology to ensure patients receive the most timely, efficient and safest care possible. Trained specialists study workflows and care processes for the betterment of the patient experience. Evidence-based clinical data helps clinicians make the most informed decisions, when and where they need it. By leveraging the collective clinical knowledge and best care practices of 45 hospitals across the country, clinicians have the resources to improve the quality, safety and satisfaction of patients throughout the course of their care. Trinity Health’s advances in health information technology makes it “reform ready” if and when changes in the U.S. health system are made to drive higher value, Swedish said. As a national leader in the implementation of health information technology, Trinity Health is developing an interconnected network of electronic health records, adverse drug alert systems and other clinical support tools to infuse all of its member hospitals with better care processes and evidence-based medicine. “Our groundbreaking advancements have positioned us well for elements of health reform that relate to health IT and comparative effectiveness research,” said Terry O’Rourke, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, Trinity Health. “As the government and private payers move toward payment that rewards outcomes and care coordination rather than volume, Trinity Health can leverage a full array of EHR and clinical support tools to align with physicians and create better, more efficient systems of care.” Thomson Reuters used data on 12 million Medicare patients using five measures: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average length of stay, and whether hospitals followed standards of care published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Catholic Health Initiatives and Trinity Health Sign Letter of Intent to Form Four-Hospital System to Better Serve Eastern Oregon-Western Idaho

2010-12-02 09:55:41.0

For more information, contact: Mike Romano Director, Media Relations Catholic Health Initiatives 303-383-2720 michaelromano@catholichealth.net Stephen Shivinsky Vice President, Corporate Communications Trinity Health 248-489-6316 shivinss@trinity-health.org Boise, Idaho – Catholic Health Initiatives and Trinity Health announced today they have signed a letter of intent to combine their four Eastern Oregon-Western Idaho hospitals into a single local system. The agreement calls for transferring the three CHI facilities to Trinity Health, thus creating a new regional healthcare system to be operated by Trinity Health. Three of the hospitals – Mercy Medical Center, Nampa, Idaho; Holy Rosary Medical Center, Ontario, Ore.; and Saint Elizabeth Health Services, Baker City, Ore. – are part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) of Denver, Colo. The fourth hospital is Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (SARMC) of Boise, a part of Trinity Health of Novi, Mich. “Combining the strengths of our three hospitals with Saint Alphonsus appears to be the best strategy for the future of our health care ministry,” said Kevin Lofton, President and Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Health Initiatives. “Beyond our common values and religious heritage, all four hospitals are dedicated to improving the health of the communities they serve.” Commenting on the agreement, Trinity Health President and CEO, Joseph R. Swedish said, “This is a historic day for the residents in Idaho and eastern Oregon who will soon benefit from an integrated regional health system, working to improve the health and well-being of the community, and treating patients with compassion and respect. It is also an important day for Catholic health care.” Over the past several months, board and senior leaders of Mercy Medical Center, Holy Rosary Medical Center, St. Elizabeth’s Health Services and CHI have been exploring the potential benefits of formally aligning the three hospitals with another hospital or health system. “Saint Alphonsus and Trinity Health have expressed a commitment to create a new regional health system which will sustain our ministries in Baker City, Ontario and Nampa over the long term, valuing our dedicated staff and recruiting much-needed providers to underserved communities,” Lofton said. The ongoing discussions have no effect on current operations. If the facilities combine, all facilities will remain open and it is expected that most employees will continue in their positions. Following a period of time for due diligence assessment by both systems, the next step would be execution of an agreement. The creation of a new regional system made up of the four facilities, and transfer of the three CHI hospitals to Trinity Health, could occur within the next several months. Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health care system with headquarters in Denver. The second-largest faith-based health care system in the nation, Catholic Health Initiatives operates in 20 states and includes 78 hospitals; 40 long-term care, assisted- and residential-living facilities; and two community health-services organizations. Together, these facilities provided $536 million in charity care and community benefit in the 2008 fiscal year, including services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. Catholic Health Initiatives represents more than 65,000 employees and consolidated annual operating revenues of $8.2 billion.

Trinity Health Joins Joint Commission Center for Transformative Healthcare

2010-12-02 09:50:52.0

For more information, contact: Kevin DiCola, Manager Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6032 (office) dicolak@trinity-health.org Center focuses on stopping breakdowns in patient care, starting with handwashing Novi, Mich. – Trinity Health is one of the first top hospitals and health systems in America to team with The Joint Commission’s Center for Transforming Healthcare to use new methods to find the causes of and put a stop to deadly breakdowns in patient care. Trinity Health is the participating organization in the project and its member hospital, St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, is the pilot site. St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor worked with the Center to tackle hand washing failures that contribute to health care-associated infections that kill nearly 100,000 Americans each year and cost U.S. hospitals $4 billion to $29 billion annually to combat. In addition to Trinity Health, other hospitals participating in the Center’s first project to make health care safer by being more reliable are Cedars-Sinai Health System, Exempla Healthcare, Froedtert Hospital, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, Virtua, Wake Forest University Fairview Health Services, Intermountain Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Partners HealthCare System, Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Rhode Island Hospital, and Newport Hospital. The targeted solutions developed by these pioneering hospitals will be shared with the more than 16,000 health care organizations accredited by The Joint Commission. Trinity Health is among the nation’s leading care organizations, ranking in the top 10 of multi-hospital systems in quality and patient safety, according to an August 2009 study of quality and efficiency by Thomson Reuters. “The patients who trust Trinity Health with their medical needs expect and deserve safe care. That’s why we are proud to be a part of the Center’s work to end preventable breakdowns in health care,” said Paul Conlon, senior vice president for clinical quality and patient safety, Trinity Health. The Center’s work with leading hospitals and health systems will lead to the development and testing of targeted, long-lasting patient safety solutions. These proven and practical strategies, based on methods such as Lean Six Sigma long used by other industries, can help transform American health care into a high-reliability industry that ensures patients receive safe, quality care. “Trinity Health has demonstrated tremendous courage and leadership by stepping up to reliably measure performance, identify causes and develop targeted solutions to a crucial patient safety problem facing all health care organizations,” says Mark R. Chassin, M.D., M.P.P., M.P.H., president, The Joint Commission. “Trinity Health is making a public commitment to improving patient care by using a comprehensive system—the only way to truly make a lasting difference in safety.” Recognizing that there is no quick fix, Trinity Health and the Center’s other participants set out to solve the problems—soap or alcohol-based hand rubs that are not convenient for caregivers to use, faulty data that lull facilities into thinking hand washing is occurring more frequently than it is, and lack of individual accountability—by using Robust Process Improvement™ tools. Health care-associated infections are the fourth largest cause of death in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are approximately 1.7 million new cases of infections that are acquired by patients during their stay in hospitals every year. Although health care organizations and government agencies have developed numerous strategies over the years to battle these infections, studies have found that hand hygiene - the most basic, low-cost and low-technology infection prevention and control strategy - is ignored by half of health care workers. The targeted solutions from the Center now being tested by St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor and other hospitals and health systems include making hand washing a top priority for the hospital, clearly stating expectations, staff training, and always washing before going in and when coming out of a patient’s room. For more information about The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare and (Organization name), visit www.centerfortransforminghealthcare.org.. About Saint Joseph Mercy Health System Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) is a newly expanded health care organization serving southeast Michigan. Health coverage spans six counties, including Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne. It includes 537-bed St. Joseph Mercy in Ann Arbor, 443-bed St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, 304-bed St. Mary Mercy in Livonia, 136-bed St. Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell, 119-bed St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron, 113-bed Chelsea Community Hospital and 74-bed St. Joseph Mercy Saline. Combined, the seven hospitals are licensed for 1,726 beds, have five outpatient health centers, five urgent care facilities, more than 25 specialty centers; employ more than 14,000 individuals and have a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians. A member of Trinity Health, the nation’s fourth largest Catholic health care organization, SJMHS is committed to providing a remarkable patient experience by using leading edge technology in a comforting and healing environment. As a mission based organization, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System provides approximately $100 million in community benefit to the communities it serves each year. For more information on health services offered at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, please visit www.stjoeshealth.org. About The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission. The Center aims to solve poor quality and unsafe health care and transform health care into a high reliability industry. The Center’s participants – the nation’s leading hospitals and health systems – use a proven systematic approach to analyze specific breakdowns in patient care and discover their underlying causes to develop targeted solutions that solve these complex problems. For more information about the Center, please visit www.centerfortransforminghealthcare.org.

Trinity Health Physician J. Michael Kramer Named to Modern Healthcare’s “Up and Comers” List

2010-12-02 09:43:57.0

For more information, contact: Kevin DiCola, Manager Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6032 (office) dicolak@trinity-health.org Novi, Mich. - Trinity Health announced today that J. Michael Kramer, MD, Vice President and Chief Medical Information Officer, as been named to the 2009 “Up and Comers” list by Modern Healthcare magazine for his work to make electronic health records an effective tool for clinicians in the delivery of safe, high quality care. The Up and Comer list annually recognizes rising young leaders aged 40 and under who are making a difference in health care. Kramer was one of 12 executives selected from among 139 nominations. The honorees appear in the Sept. 14 issue of Modern Healthcare. A physician with a master’s degree in business information and formal clinical informatics training, Kramer oversees the development of clinical information systems that assist clinicians in the delivery of high quality patient care. He represents the needs and requirements of the clinical community in promoting the use of information technology. Kramer is a key leader in Trinity Health’s initaitive to implement electronic health records (EHR) with computerized provider order entry (CPOE). Trinity Health has equipped 22 hospitals with EHR and CPOE, which has an exceptional CPOE usage rate of 74 percent among mostly affiliated physicians. He provides clinical quality oversight of a data repository containing more than seven million patient records. Clinicians average of 293,000 chart openings and process 587,000 orders daily. “Mike is an extremely high caliber leader who possesses both the technological and business intelligence necessary to implement information systems in hospital settings, and the personal experience of a practicing physician invovled in direct patient care,” said Terrence O’Rourke, chief clinical officer of Trinity Health. “He blends both highly specialized skill sets to facilitate the development of clinical information systems that best meet the needs and preferences of our physicians, nurses and clinicians.” Prior to joining Trinity Health in 2005, Kramer spent 10 years at the University of Michigan Health System as both a practicing physician and physician lead for clinical systems integration. He earned his medical degree from Case Western University. At University of Michigan he completed residency and board certification in internal medicine and pediatrics. He earned an MBA at the University of Michigan and a medical informatics fellowship. Over the 20-plus years of Up and Comers classes, past Trinity Health winners have included Kedrick Adkins, President, Integrated Services; Preston Gee, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Marketing and Communications; Lou Fierens, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Management and Capital Projects, and Aissya Williamson, Executive Director, Mercy Primary Care Center.

Paul G. Neumann to Join Trinity Health as General Counsel

2010-12-02 08:01:12.0

For more information, contact: Kevin DiCola, APR, SeniorManager Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6032 (office) dicolak@trinity-health.org NOVI, Mich. – Trinity Health, one of the nation’s top 10 health systems for clinical quality and patient safety, today announced that Paul G. Neumann, formerly the General Counsel of Catholic Health Initiatives, will join Trinity Health as its General Counsel and Senior Vice President. “Paul is an excellent addition to our team and will fit right into Trinity Health’s mission-focused culture,” said Joseph R. Swedish, Trinity Health’s President and CEO. “Paul is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in policy development, health care and hospital law, advocacy, operations, mission work and Canon Law.” With Neumann’s arrival on Nov. 2, Daniel Hale, who has served as Trinity Health’s legal counsel for the past 13 years, will transition fully to Executive Vice President of Trinity Health’s Institute for Health and Community Benefit focusing on innovative community programs and chronic health issues. Neumann brings to Trinity Health impressive credentials including 12 years as General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legal Services for Catholic Health Initiatives in Denver, Colo. Prior to joining CHI as its initial general counsel, Neumann was a partner in the San Francisco office of the law firm of Weissburg and Aronson, which specialized in health care and hospital law. He also was a partner in the law firm of Foley and Lardner, which merged with Weissburg and Aronson in 1996. Paul practiced in all areas of health, business and corporate law. He represented hospitals and health systems in business transactions; long-range planning; policy development; analysis of legislative, regulatory, and judicial developments; joint venture planning and implementation; mergers and acquisitions; risk management; and patient care issues. He has served on hospital and medical staff committees, including Institutional Review Boards and bioethics committees of numerous northern California hospitals. Neumann graduated from the University of Virginia Law School and was admitted to practice law in California in 1987. He received the Taylor-Taswell Scholarship to attend law school and was awarded the Dillard Teaching Fellowship after his first year. He received a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College in 1981.

Mercy Cancer Network Completes $14 Million Upgrade to Digital Mammography

2010-12-01 11:58:58.0

For more information, contact: Kevin DiCola, APR, SeniorManager Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6032 (office) dicolak@trinity-health.org Advanced breast cancer detection equipment now in use at 17 Hospitals and Cancer Centers in Michigan Novi, Michigan — Mercy Cancer Network, one of Michigan’s largest networks of board-certified cancer specialists, announced the completion of a $14 million conversion to digital mammography at each of its 17 hospitals and cancer centers across the state. Mercy Cancer Network provides more than 130,000 mammograms in Michigan every year. Exams can be scheduled by calling 1-888-474-HOPE. "Mammography is an important tool in the early detection of breast cancer,” said Mercy Cancer Network Director Julie Sproul. “Digital mammography provides a more accurate and detailed look at breast tissue to give our network of more than 200 board-certified oncologists the most reliable and comprehensive information possible.” In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all women who receive annual mammograms from Mercy Cancer Network affiliates are now benefiting from state-of-the-art machines providing superior image quality and comfort. A digital mammogram instantly produces a clear image that can then be magnified or enhanced, improving the chances of detecting subtle abnormalities such as faint masses or small clusters of microcalcification. More than 200 board-certified specialists at 17 Trinity Health hospitals and cancer centers comprise the Mercy Cancer Network in Michigan. A National Cancer Institute study shows that digital mammography provides clearer images for women under 50, and women with very dense breasts. Digital mammography also uses less radiation than standard film mammograms. Comprehensive Cancer Care Services Digital mammography is one example of the advanced capabilities of the Mercy Cancer Network, one of the largest and most comprehensive networks in the state dedicated to giving patients the most convenient access to the latest cancer diagnostics, clinical research trials and therapeutic technology. “The Mercy Cancer Network links the expertise of local hospitals and coordinates the collective cancer resources across the state,” Sproul said. “The benefit to patients is that as much care as possible is delivered close to home, with access to additional resources as needed.” Mercy Cancer Network is an initiative of Trinity Health, Michigan’s leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers. The network focuses on maximizing existing clinical services across the continuum of care for patients, while providing access to clinical research, education and resources statewide. Mercy Cancer Network links the expertise of more than 200 board-certified oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, oncology nurses and other specialties serving 6,000+ patients per year from 17 acute-care hospitals and cancer centers. Combined, the network provides more than 100,000 radiation therapy treatments annually. Members of the Mercy Cancer Network include: - Battle Creek Health System – The Cancer Care Center - Mercy Health Partners – Muskegon – Johnson Family Cancer Center: Hackley Campus, Lakeshore Campus – Shelby, Mercy Campus, Muskegon General Campus - Mercy Hospital Cadillac - Mercy Hospital Grayling - Saint Joseph Mercy Health System: Chelsea Community Hospital, St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Cancer Center, St. Joseph Mercy Brighton Cancer Center, St. Joseph Mercy Canton Cancer Center, St. Joseph Mercy Livingston (Howell), St. Joseph Mercy Oakland (Pontiac) Cancer Center, St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron Mercy Regional Cancer Center, St. Joseph Mercy Saline, St. Mary Mercy Livonia Our Lady of Hope Cancer Center - Saint Mary’s Health Care - Grand Rapids – The Lacks Cancer Center Through the network, physicians and patients have access to the latest clinical research trials through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) affiliated with the Mayo Clinic and M.D. Anderson. “Providing cancer patients and their families with support throughout their cancer journey is vital,” added Sproul. The hospitals of the Mercy Cancer Network provide comprehensive, community-based cancer related services through care navigator functions guiding patients through the process and helping organize care plans, keeping patients and families informed concerning appointments, and serving as point persons for medical questions. In addition to digital mammography, hospitals in the Mercy Cancer Network provide the latest in cancer care technology and services at select sites, such as CyberKnife, TomoTherapy, Rapid Arc and daVinci Robotic Surgical System, among others. For hospital and referral information, please call 1-888-474-HOPE or visit us on the web at: www.mercycancernetwork.com. For additional information contact Julie Sproul, director, Mercy Cancer Network, 248-489-6369 or at sproulj@trinity-health.org. About Mercy Cancer Network Mercy Cancer Network is an initiative of Trinity Health, Michigan’s leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers. Trinity Health provides the full continuum of care for Michigan’s residents, with 17 hospitals and cancer centers, nine nursing homes, 19 senior housing facilities, eight home health care agencies and four hospices serving 35 counties. More than 27,000 associates provide care to one in 11 Michigan residents.

Trinity Health Recruiting for Executive- and Management-Level Positions at Two Conferences for African-American Business Professionals

2010-12-01 11:48:25.0

For more information, contact: Kevin DiCola, APR, Senior Manager Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6032 (office) dicolak@trinity-health.org Recruiters will be onsite at the annual events of the National Black MBA Association and National Association of Health Services Executives events Novi, Mich. – Trinity Health, the nation’s fourth-largest Catholic health system with 45 acute-care hospitals, 29 long-term care centers and numerous outpatient clinics and in seven states, will be recruiting for management and executive level positions this fall at the annual conferences of two associations that advance networking opportunities for African-American business leaders. • National Black MBA Association (NBMAA)’s 31st Annual Conference and Exposition will attract up to 15,000 MBA professionals to the Ernest Morial Convention Center in New Orleans from Sept. 22-26. Trinity Health recruiters will be located at booth No. 2236. NBMAA is a non-profit association of African American business associates founded in 1970. As a professional membership organization of African American graduates with MBAs and advanced degrees, NBMBAA represents more than 95,000 individuals. The organization’s main purpose is to promote the advancement and development of African American business leaders. • The National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) will host its 24th Annual Educational Conference on Oct. 14-16 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Fla. NAHSE is a non-profit association of African-American health care executives founded in 1968 for the purpose of promoting the advancement and development of health care leaders, and elevating the quality of health care services rendered to minority and underserved communities. Since its inception, NAHSE has sponsored and participated in local and national programs and projects designed to improve quality, access and availability to health services and to expand educational opportunities in the field of Health Services Administration. More than 2,000 health care professionals attend NAHSE’s yearly conference. Trinity Health has open positions across its national network of member health systems in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Idaho, California and Maryland. A comprehensive listing of current opportunities can be accessed from Trinity Health’s online Career Center.

Joseph Swedish Elected to National Quality Forum Board

2010-12-01 11:37:45.0

For more information, contact: Kevin DiCola, APR, Senior Manager Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6032 (office) dicolak@trinity-health.org Washington, DC - The membership of the National Quality Forum (NQF) elected Joseph R. Swedish, President and CEO of Trinity Health, to its Board of Directors. With the appointment, Swedish becomes the only Catholic health system CEO on the NQF board representing a wide range of healthcare stakeholders, including consumers, providers, purchasers and suppliers, and public and community health care organizations. NQF is a unique, multi-stakeholder, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of American health care by setting national priorities and goals for performance improvement, endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance, and promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs. The NQF Board of Directors oversees the entirety of the organization, with a focus on strategic policy issues, and performs important fiduciary duties. The 33-member Board is composed of key public and private sector leaders who represent all major stakeholder groups. The Board is advised by NQF’s member councils on the organization’s and strategy and direction. For a full list of the NQF Board of Directors, visit the Board’s roster on the NQF website. The mission of the National Quality Forum is to improve the quality of American healthcare by setting national priorities and goals for performance improvement, endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance, and promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs. NQF, a non-profit organization (www.qualityforum.org) with diverse stakeholders across the public and private health sectors, was established in 1999 and is based in Washington, DC.

Statement on Recommended Mammography Guidelines

2010-12-01 11:35:08.0

For more information, contact: Kevin DiCola, APR, Senior Manager Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6032 (office) dicolak@trinity-health.org Novi, Michigan - The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced November 16 that the recommended age for mammogram screening for women at low risk should change from age 40 to age 50, and be decreased from every year to every other year. The task force also stated that breast self-exams are not beneficial in detecting cancer. The task force explains that the current standards of getting screened for breast cancer early often leads to too many false alarms and unneeded biopsies without substantially improving the odds of survival. We recognize the scientific basis for the USPSTF recommendations, and that there is not general consensus regarding these guidelines. At the same time, there is convincing evidence that early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and annual mammograms lead to better outcomes, especially with the use of digital mammography. While the current recommendations of yearly mammography for women 40 and older are not perfect, patients are encouraged to work with their physicians and use the knowledge and latest technology available to increase their chances of early detection. In addition, many women find their own lumps before they show on mammogram, and should continue to perform breast self-exams, contact their physician if they find a lump, and be aware of timely methods of early detection. The Mercy Cancer Network and Trinity Health, along with The American College of Radiology, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the American Society of Breast Disease and the American Cancer Society, support the current standards of annual mammography for women age 40 and older for breast cancer detection. Respectfully, Terry O’Rourke, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, Trinity Health Thomas Gribbin, MD, Saint Mary’s Health Care, Grand Rapids Randy Mudge, MD, Battle Creek Health System Phil Stella, MD, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System Mercy Cancer Network Steering Team Physicians

Mercy Primary Care Center Receives $15,000 in Matching Grants for Diabetes Management Program

2010-12-01 11:31:12.0

For more information, contact: Ida Warshay, Director of Development Mercy Primary Care Center 313-579-4005 (office) warshayi@trinity-health.org Grants from Metro Health Foundation and Trinity Health to provide eye exams to uninsured diabetic patients Detroit, Mich. - Mercy Primary Care Center (MPCC) received a grant award of $7,500 from the Metro Health Foundation of Detroit for the center’s diabetes management program serving the city’s uninsured residents. In an effort to maximize the number of patients who will be treated within this program, MPCC also received a matching grant from the Trinity Health’s Institute for Health and Community Benefits, bringing the total grant funding to $15,000. MPCC will use the funds to provide medical eye exams to uninsured diabetic patients in collaboration with the Optometric Institute and Clinic of Detroit. Medical eye exams are a crucial part of the continuum of care for those patients with diabetes. Without proper vision care, complications can arise for the patient, including retinopathy, cataracts and the need for laser surgery. MPCC is a health center serving the needs of Detroit’s uninsured. The center acts as a “medical home” for uninsured adults who require health care services to improve their quality of life. MPCC seeks to eliminate barriers to comprehensive care by providing laboratory, diagnostic testing, limited specialty care, health education, pharmaceuticals and transportation free of charge. Dedicated to treating the whole person - body, mind, and spirit - MPCC is a member of Trinity Health, Michigan’s leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers. Trinity Health’s Institute for Health and Community Benefits focuses on improving public health in Trinity Health communities, including chronic disease prevention and management among poor and vulnerable populations, eliminating inequities and disparities in health and healthcare services, and improving access to healthy environments and health care services for all. Metro Health Foundation is a private grant-making foundation supporting Michigan organizations in health care and health-related fields. About Mercy Primary Care Center Mercy Primary Care Center was established in 2001 as a continuing ministry of Trinity Health on Detroit’s Eastside. MPCC serves the primary care needs of uninsured adults in the City of Detroit by proving primary care, limited diagnostic testing and imaging, transportation and pharmaceuticals. Mercy Primary Care strives to eliminate the barriers to access to care that many uninsured individuals face. In 2009, MPCC had 4,895 patient visits and dispensed more than 24,000 medications.

Benjamin Carter Named Chief Financial Officer of Trinity Health

2010-12-01 11:27:37.0

For more information, contact: Kevin DiCola, APR, SeniorManager Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6032 (office) dicolak@trinity-health.org Novi, Michigan – Trinity Health today announced that Benjamin R. Carter, CPA, FHFMA, has been appointed as the new Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He will join the organization on March 1. Carter will lead the financial management, financial reporting, strategic financial and capital planning and budget development of Trinity Health, the fourth-largest Catholic health system in the country with 44 hospitals, 33 long-term care centers and hundreds of outpatient facilities in eight states. He will also provide leadership to revenue management initiatives and reimbursement programs. Carter comes to Trinity Health from the Detroit Medical Center, where since 2005 he was executive vice president and chief operating officer responsible for the operations of the system’s eight hospitals and related outpatient facilities. His distinguished career spans 20 years in executive-level positions at Oakwood Healthcare in Dearborn, Mich., including six years as its CFO from 1999-2005. He is a alumnus of the University of Michigan where he graduated magna cum laude with an MBA and bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Trinity Health Appoints Four to Board of Directors

2010-12-01 05:49:47.0

For more information, contact: Carol Tingwall, Director Corporate Communications and Public Relations 248-489-6576 (office) tingwalc@trinity-health.org Paul Robertson, James Bentley, Jose Santillan and Robert Ladenburger join Not-For-Profit Catholic Health System Board Novi, Michigan - Trinity Health has announced that four new members were elected to the organization’s Board of Directors. The new members are Paul Robertson, Chairman and CEO of Robertson Brothers Company in Bloomfield Hills; James Bentley, a strategist with the American Hospital Association for many years; Jose Santillan, Head of Investments for Harris Bank/Bank of Montreal Private Client Group in Chicago; and Robert Ladenburger, President and CEO of Exempla Healthcare in Denver. “Trinity Health is most fortunate to welcome these well-respected leaders,” said Sister Catherine DeClercq, Senior Vice President, Governance and Sponsorship, Trinity Health. “They bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the governance and sponsorship of Catholic health care.” James Bentley, PhD, concluded 18 years at the American Hospital Association where he was responsible for strategic policy planning. Before joining the AHA, Jim spent 15 years with the Association of American Medical Colleges. Robert Ladenburger is the President and CEO of Exempla Healthcare in Denver, a system within the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System. He previously was President and CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo., for the past 10 years. Paul Robertson is the Chairman and CEO of Robertson Brothers Company in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a luxury home builder in southeast Michigan. Robertson recently completed nine years on the St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Board of Trustees, where he served as chair from 2006 to 2008. Jose Santillan is the Head of Investments for Harris Bank/Bank of Montreal Private Client Group in Chicago. He is the former Chief Investment Officer of LaSalle Bank Wealth Management Group, part of ABN AMRO Bank. He is Chair of the Personal Asset Management Committee at Harris Bank that oversees all investment policy activities. Santillan previously served on the Trinity Health Board from 2000 to 2008.

Trinity Health’s Stable Outlook and Favorable Bond Ratings Reaffirmed by Analysts

2010-11-30 13:19:08.0

For more information, contact:
Eve Pidgeon, Manager
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
248-489-6634 (office)
pidgeone@trinity-health.org

Novi, Mich. - Trinity Health announced today that Standard & Poor, Fitch Ratings and Moody Investor Services each recently reaffirmed its stable outlook, assigning favorable bond ratings to Trinity Health debt. These moves will help Trinity Health save millions of dollars of interest in future years, providing additional resources that can be invested in its community benefit ministry.

"This is great news for Trinity Health and the communities we serve nationwide," said President and CEO Joseph Swedish. "These ratings enable us to borrow the capital we need to fund important projects at our hospitals and clinics to provide high quality care. They also show that the rating agencies recognize our consistent performance and strong positioning for the future."

In separate recent announcements:

On September 27, Standard & Poor assigned its 'AA' long-term rating and 'AA/A-1+' rating on various series of debt issued for Trinity Health for reasons including its position as one of the largest health systems in the U.S., its good financial performance and its maintenance of a sound balance sheet. The 'A-1+' short-term rating reflects the credit strengths inherent in the 'AA' long-term rating as well as analysts' view that Trinity Health's assets are sufficient to support its debt
Fitch Ratings assigned its 'AA' long-term rating to Trinity Health on September 30, and reported the outlook as stable, stating that "Trinity continues to use its scale to drive greater efficiencies (i.e. lower per unit cost) in administrative/corporate services" and that "development of and exportation of clinical best practices reduces the variability of care, reducing waste and improving outcomes"
On October 6, Moody's Investor Service assigned Trinity Health bonds its 'Aa2' ratings, citing geographic diversification, good operating profit and operating cash flow as strengths

"The analysts' opinions and positive ratings are indicators of our strategic success," said Kedrick Adkins, President, Integrated Services, Trinity Health. "With a strong balance sheet and a geographically diverse - and unified - organization, we have had both the agility to respond quickly to change and the financial strength to provide stability during changing times in our industry."

Adkins, who is responsible for Trinity Health's complete span of financial services, treasury, information technology, supply-chain management, procurement, and insurance and risk management, also expressed his pleasure that Fitch Ratings called out Trinity Health's Genesis Information Technology system as a credit strength "providing healthcare reform readiness, among other things."

"Recognition for Trinity Health's leadership in the development of electronic health record technologies has been consistent over the decade that it has been one of our priorities," said Adkins. "But this particular recognition of Genesis as one of our credit strengths proves the initiative brings as much benefit to our Ministry Organizations' bottom lines as it does to the quality of the care we give our patients."

Statement on Health Reform Bill

2010-11-30 13:17:50.0

For more information, contact:
Tonya Wells
Director of Federal Advocacy
248-489-6068 (office)
comm@trinity-health.org

Novi, Michigan - Trinity Health commends members of the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a bill that includes an integrated set of reforms that will improve the U.S. health care system. While this is a historic moment, the work to implement reform is just beginning. Trinity Health is willing and able to work with the Administration, Congress and other groups to ensure the goals of reform are achieved.

While this package is not perfect, it goes a long way toward achieving many of the Essential Elements of Reform that Trinity Health has been calling for since 2006. Our doctors, nurses and staff - those on the front lines of health care delivery - have been asking elected officials to ensure that everyone has quality, affordable health coverage in a coordinated, cost-effective system of care. The recent passage of the reform package has moved us much closer to that goal.

We were happy to see that the legislation will significantly expand access to affordable health care coverage, reflecting progress toward protecting human dignity and promoting the common good.
Trinity Health also had been advocating for insurance reforms that would:

Prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions and canceling policies once people get sick;
Cap out-of-pocket costs; and
End annual and lifetime dollar limits on coverage.
We call upon the U.S. Senate to quickly enact the accompanying reconciliation legislation to ensure those important provisions become a reality.

We believe our early involvement in reform established Trinity Health as a respected advocate. Importantly, it also guided our strategic decisions, which have positioned us to thrive in the post-reform health care environment. We have anticipated the changes that will be ushered in by reform and now are poised to succeed in world where payment structures encourage effective use of technology, coordinated delivery of care and improved clinical performance. Trinity Health is moving decisively to implement changes that will improve quality and safety in a patient-centered care model, while leveraging our skill and scale to operate more efficiently.

Michelle Block Schreiber to Join Trinity Health as Chief Medical Officer

2010-11-30 13:16:25.0

For more information, contact:
Eve Pidgeon, Manager
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
248-489-6634 (office)
pidgeone@trinity-health.org

Novi, Mich. - Trinity Health announced today that Michelle Block Schreiber, MD, has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Trinity Health, Novi, effective December 1, 2010. In her new role she will join Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Terry O'Rourke, MD, in providing executive leadership for physician services throughout Trinity Health, including 46 acute-care hospitals in nine states.

"I look forward to welcoming Michelle to Trinity Health and have great confidence in her proven leadership skills and in her natural collaborative gifts," said O'Rourke. "We believe that her leadership will help further improve patient care, quality and safety, while nurturing excellent physician relationships and engagement, and a truly collaborative practice throughout our entire system."

Schreiber has nearly 30 years of health care experience and brings significant administrative expertise to the position, most recently serving as the Senior Vice President, Chief Quality and Safety Officer for the Detroit Medical Center system. In that role since 2007, she held responsibility for the quality and safety of the DMC's eight hospitals - nearly 2,000 beds and 95,000 discharges per year. Previously, she served in various clinical, administrative and educational roles within the Henry Ford Health System. She also serves on the faculty of the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

At Trinity Health, Schreiber will act as an internal consultant to senior leadership and medical staff leaders throughout the UEM, providing strategic direction in the area of medical staff engagement and expertise in medical staff functions and championing the electronic medical record as a way to better clinical environments.

"Throughout my career, the most rewarding opportunities have been related to quality and improvement of care," said Schreiber. "At Trinity Health, where every decision is focused on creating excellence in the care experience, this will be my sole focus, whether I am assisting with medical staff recruiting or supporting clinical process redesign. I am thrilled to be a part of it."

Schreiber's professional experience, before joining with DMC, includes serving as Senior Staff Physician in the Henry Ford Health System, where she also served as Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program; Division Head, General Internal Medicine; and as Associate Medical Director, Henry Ford Hospital, among other roles.
Schreiber holds a holds a B.A. in Biology and Humanities from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and an M.D. degree from that institution's School of Medicine. She is married and has two adult children and two dogs.

IHA and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System Announce Strategic Merger Creating One of the Largest Integrated Health Networks in Michigan

2010-11-30 13:15:02.0

For more information contact:

IHA
Amy Middleton
734-327-0877
Amy_middleton@IHAcares.com

Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
Lauren Stokes
734-712-4033
stokesle@trinity-health.org

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) and IHA, the region's leading physician group practice, both of Ann Arbor, Mich., today announced a strategic merger with the goal of developing a new integrated health network. The merger is expected to be effective on or before December 31, at which time IHA will be a member of SJMHS and will initially serve as the integrated physician enterprise for these St. Joseph Mercy Hospital markets: Washtenaw, Livingston and portions of western Wayne and south western Oakland counties.

IHA is the largest, fully integrated physician group practice in southeast Michigan, with best-in-class performance in care outcomes, patient loyalty and value. With more than 150 doctors and 40 nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurse midwives in 32 practices in 47 locations, IHA provides high quality medical care and excellent service to more than 250,000 active patients. IHA's employed physician, nursing and support staff totals 950 professionals.

SJMHS is one of the largest health care delivery systems in Michigan, with an excellent reputation for quality, safety and patient loyalty. It is comprised of seven hospitals spanning six southeast Michigan counties. SJMHS is licensed for 1,726 beds, has five outpatient health centers, five urgent care facilities and more than 25 specialty centers. It employs more than 14,000 individuals and has a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians.

"Our merger with IHA will create an integrated organization that will proactively advance clinical integration, patient-centered care, and community health. It will provide the framework and structure to increase the role of physicians in SJMHS leadership and operations," said Rob Casalou, President and CEO of St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, Livingston and Saline. "The merger will enable us to better prepare for rapid changes in health care delivery and financing stimulated by national health reform and lead to better coordinated care for our patients."

According to IHA President and CEO Bill Fileti, "IHA brings the leadership, culture, expertise and operating systems of a large, high performing, fully-integrated physician group practice. We look forward to developing the physician enterprise for St. Joe's in collaboration with many community physicians who are aligned with the hospital system. We believe this merger is in the best interest of our patients, providers and staff, and the communities we serve."

SJMHS provides the broad-based health care delivery system with the scale and resources to support the expansion and development of an ambulatory care delivery system for southeast Michigan. "By combining strengths, IHA and SJMHS will be able to advance the development of a delivery system that is responsive to the needs of patients and communities and the requirements for value expressed by health care purchasers," said Garry C. Faja, President and CEO, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System.

"Hospitals and physicians together are facing future expectations for rapid improvements in quality of care and value as accountable health networks that would be difficult to achieve independently," noted Mary Durfee, MD, Quality Medical Director and President of IHA, PC. "This alignment will create a fully integrated health system able to deliver superior quality of care that is coordinated and safe."

St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor's Chief of Staff Rosalie Tocco-Bradley, PhD, MD, supports the planned merger. "St. Joe's has expressed a desire to partner with physicians to share goals, accountability and outcomes for patients across the entire continuum of care. This will distinguish St. Joe's as a premier patient-centered care management organization that is closely aligned with physicians."

Concurrently, IHA, SJMHS and its parent organization, Trinity Health, Novi, Mich. are accelerating affiliations and joint ventures with the University of Michigan Health System. "We view the University as our primary academic health system partner. We hope to collaborate on a full range of services and programs, such as pediatrics and medical education and the improvement of patient-centered primary and specialty care services," said Mike Slubowski, Trinity Health's President of Health Networks. The most recent example was the creation of the Pennant Health Alliance in West Michigan. Announced on September 22, Trinity Health, the University of Michigan Health System and Metro Health launched this new business-to-business support-services network, designed to strengthen independent community hospitals and physician practices. Slubowski also is leading Trinity Health's effort to create accountable health networks in the nine states in which Trinity Health operates.

About IHA
IHA is one of the best and also largest private multi-specialty groups in southeast Michigan. IHA employs 950 physicians, nurses and support staff, including more than 150 doctors and 40 nurse practitioners across 32 practices. IHA provides high quality medical care and excellent service to more than 250,000 patients. Recognized as one of Michigan's top performing medical groups, IHA also ranks in the top 20th percentile for patient satisfaction nationally. Offering extended office hours, After Hours Care, and access to clinical research studies, IHA demonstrates that it cares by bringing safe, high quality, comprehensive and affordable care to its patients. For more information about IHA, visit www.ihacares.com.

About Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) is a newly expanded health care organization serving southeast Michigan. Health coverage spans six counties, including Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne. It includes 537-bed St. Joseph Mercy in Ann Arbor, 443-bed St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, 304-bed St. Mary Mercy in Livonia, 136-bed St. Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell, 119-bed St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron, 113-bed Chelsea Community Hospital and 74-bed St. Joseph Mercy Saline. Combined, the seven hospitals are licensed for 1,726 beds, have five outpatient health centers, five urgent care facilities, more than 25 specialty centers; employ more than 14,000 individuals and have a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians. SJMHS is a member of Trinity Health. For more information on health services offered at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, please visit www.stjoeshealth.org and become a fan of the SJMHS Facebook page.

Four Regional Hospitals Join to Form Saint Alphonsus Health System

2010-11-30 13:13:19.0

For information, contact:
Jennifer Krajnik, Public Relations
Saint Alphonsus
208-855-6449 (pager)
208-859-2930 (cell)

New system vows to blend the strengths and heritages of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, Holy Rosary Medical Center and St. Elizabeth Health Services.

BOISE, Idaho - Trinity Health, parent organization of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (SARMC), announced today the formation of Saint Alphonsus Health System, an entity created to serve the 21st century health-care needs of the people who live from the Treasure Valley to the I-84 corridor in eastern Oregon. The new system, comprised of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Boise, Idaho; Mercy Medical Center, Nampa, Idaho; Holy Rosary Medical Center, Ontario, Oregon; and St. Elizabeth Health Services, Baker City, Oregon unites just seven months after the announcement of Trinity's letter of intent to form the new system. The heritages of all four organizations and their founding congregations, with 421 years of combined service to the community, will be respected and cherished. Each hospital will continue to share a common faith-based Catholic Health mission.

The new system will continue the local governance of each community's partner hospital, and current local ministry boards will stay in place. A new health system Board will be created to provide governance for the new Saint Alphonsus Health System.

"Each member hospital will contribute its century of gathered strengths to meet the needs of the people in the region," said Sally Jeffcoat, President and CEO of Saint Alphonsus Health System. "There will be opportunities for Saint Alphonsus Health System's caregivers to exchange ideas and best clinical practices, as well as to engage in shared services, such as clinical education, common electronic health records, and telepharmacy. The regional approach will strengthen the long-term financial viability of each hospital and Saint Alphonsus Health System will invest in excess of $40 million to advance the health care practices of Mercy Medical Center, Holy Rosary Medical Center and St. Elizabeth Health Services."
"The healing power of the four hospitals and medical staff brought together as one mission-driven system will far exceed that of four hospitals, each acting alone," Jeffcoat added. "System coordination will provide an expansion of accessible health services and continuous improvements in quality of care and patient safety."

Media Opportunity
Saint Alphonsus President & CEO Sally Jeffcoat will be available for one-on-one interviews from 12 noon to 1:00 pm today. To schedule a time, please call Jennifer Krajnik at 859-2930 or page 855-6449.

Photo Opportunity
A special transition of sponsorship and formation of Saint Alphonsus Health System ceremony will be held today from 4:00 to 5:00 pm in McCleary Auditorium.

About Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center
Saint Alphonsus is a 387-licensed bed regional medical center serving people throughout the Northwest. As a not-for-profit medical center, Saint Alphonsus reinvests profits back into the community and works to improve the health and well-being of those we serve by emphasizing care that is patient-centered, innovative and community based. Saint Alphonsus focuses on providing services in a spiritual, healing environment, and is renowned for its state-of-the-art digital environment and pioneering technologies; award-winning clinical services; and the region's Trauma Center. For information about Saint Alphonsus visit www.saintalphonsus.org.

About Holy Rosary Medical Center
Holy Rosary Medical Center is a 49-licensed bed community hospital providing quality care to people throughout eastern Oregon, and the southwestern Idaho communities. As a not-for-profit hospital, Holy Rosary reinvests profits back into the community and works to improve the health and well-being of those we serve by providing state-of-the-art medical technology, facilities and equipment with highly trained medical providers and staff to meet the healthcare needs of our community.

About Mercy Medical Center
Mercy Medical Center is a 152-bed acute care hospital serving the medical needs of the greater Nampa, Idaho area. As a not-for-profit hospital, Mercy reinvests its profits back into the community and works to improve the health and well-being of those we serve through medical services provided at Mercy Medical Center, Mercy North Health Center, Mercy Home Health and Hospice, Mercy Family Birthing Center, and Mercy Physician Group. For more information about Mercy Medical Center visit www.mercynampa.org.

About St. Elizabeth Health Services
St. Elizabeth Health Services is a 36 bed health care organization in Baker City, OR. As a not-for-profit hospital, St. Elizabeth reinvests its profits back into the community and works to improve the health and wellbeing of those we serve by providing the continuum of care from acute to long-term care services. St. Elizabeth serves Baker County and surrounding areas.