Ochsner Health System and Christus Health have agreed to jointly run hospitals in Lake Charles.
The joint venture will operate future health care facilities and services operated by the two health systems in the region.
The anticipated agreement, which was initiated Wednesday through a letter of intent, will build on the hospitals’ “collective strengths,” according to a news release. The deal is meant to improve care for patients and expand local access to health care services and specialties such as maternal fetal medicine, pediatric subspecialties, neurosciences and oncology.
Christus and Ochsner will become more integrated partners in the Lake Charles area, building upon a two-year relationship including telemedicine and clinical trials. They will share responsibility for the current and potential services available to patients in the Southwest Louisiana hospitals. Ochsner will assume management of the clinics and employed physicians in the Christus Physician Group and Lake Area Medical Group.
A new joint board of directors will be formed to govern the partnership.
At the closing of the transaction, Christus Health will be the majority owner of the not-for-profit entity. It will continue to manage all other portions of the joint venture, including Christus St. Patrick Hospital and soon to be acquired Lake Area Medical Center. In the meantime, Lake Area Medical Center is expected to be called Christus Lake Area Hospital.
The announcement is expected to be finalized by fall 2017.
Dallas-based Christus Health is an international Catholic, faith-based, not-for-profit health system, while Ochsner Health System is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, health care system.
Date:June 29, 2017
Source:Neworleans