Provena, Resurrection make deal to merge two health care systems

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A patient leaves the Regional Cancer Care Center at Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin. Provena and Resurrection health care systems have agreed to merge. | Sun-Times Media~File Photo

Updated: July 11, 2011 5:15PM

Provena Health and Resurrection Health Care have struck a deal to merge, creating the largest Catholic health care provider in the state, the parties said Tuesday.

The combined system will have 12 hospitals, eight long-term care and senior residential facilities, more than 50 primary and specialty care clinics and six home health agencies. It also will have nearly $3 billion in operating revenue, nearly 5,000 physicians and more than 22,000 employees.

“The more we talked, the more we realized that through collaboration and equal partnership, we take a major step toward achieving a long common goal of ensuring for the future access to a vibrant Catholic health system which will enhance our abilities to meet the needs of the communities we are privileged to serve,” Provena Health President and Chief Executive Officer Guy R. Wiebking said in a statement.

The parties announced in February plans to explore a merger.

“Our model supports innovation and growth under health reform,” Sandra Bruce, president and CEO of Resurrection Health Care, said in a statement. “In an industry so focused on episodic care, we look to be transformative in our mission by promoting healthy communities and identifying community needs to keep people healthy, as well as caring for the sick.”

The merger is subject to state regulatory approval.

Provena is based in Mokena and has six hospitals including Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin, Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Provena St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Danville and Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana. At the encouragement of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Provena Health was born in 1997. Its oldest hospital, St. Joseph in Joliet, dates back to 1882.

Resurrection is based in Chicago and has four hospitals in Chicago—Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center, Resurrection Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital and Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center. Its system also includes Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines and St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. It’s oldest hospital, St. Joseph in Chicago, dates back to 1868.

The Resurrection system also includes Resurrection University, a fully-accredited, not-for-profit, Catholic-based specialty school for health sciences.