CHRISTUS Health and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile said on April 9 that they will be equal owners of a full-service hospital in the Santiago area, where the two entities already have a partnership in a health care system.
The hospital stake CHRISTUS Health acquired from insurer Colmena Salud is in the Clínica San Carlos de Apoquindo UC. Financial information related to the transaction was not disclosed. Pontificia Universidad Católica had a preexisting 50 percent ownership stake in Clínica San Carlos.
CHRISTUS Health said the acquisition supports its strategic plan to grow its health care presence through Red de Salud UC CHRISTUS, a Chilean heath system comprised of two hospitals and 11 outpatient clinics throughout Chile's capital and its suburbs. Clínica San Carlos was part of Red de Salud UC CHRISTUS from that system's creation in December 2013 by virtue of the ownership stake held by Pontificia Universidad Católica. CHRISTUS Health, which manages Red de Salud UC CHRISTUS, is purchasing a 50 percent stake in Clínica San Carlos held by Colmena Salud, said Abby Lowe McNeil, CHRISTUS Health system's director of communications and public affairs.
Ernie Sadau, president and chief executive of CHRISTUS Health, said in a statement that new clinical services will be offered at Clínica San Carlos, though the specifics of those services have not yet been detailed. McNeil said the Clínica San Carlos facility is a full-service community hospital. Patients with high complexity or rare illnesses may be referred to specialists or multidisciplinary teams at Red de Salud UC CHRISTUS' main hospital in Santiago, Salud UC CHRISTUS Marcoleta. That facility is an academic medical center with about 350 beds.