SCL Health System and National Jewish Health plan to combine some of their clinical operations under a new organization that the two will jointly own and operate. The nonprofit Denver-based providers have signed a letter of intent for the joint operating agreement and plan to complete the agreement early next year.
The yet-to-be-named joint operating company will include the clinical operations of SCL's Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital and National Jewish Health. Saint Joseph is a 577-bed teaching hospital in Denver; National Jewish operates primarily as an outpatient facility specializing in respiratory, cardiac, immune system and related disorders. In addition to the main campus, National Jewish has a network of nearly two dozen other sites around Denver and west of Denver.
The joint company will focus on improving inpatient and outpatient care, expanding clinical research efforts and bolstering medical education and training, particularly in Denver. Cheston Turbyfill, SCL director of public affairs, said SCL and National Jewish are still determining exactly how they will accomplish these goals; and so specifics are not yet available. "By partnering in care delivery, each organization is able to bring their respective strengths to the joint venture," he said. For instance, National Jewish is world-renowned in respiratory care; and Saint Joseph performs more heart surgeries than any other hospital in Denver. Saint Joseph has the acute care facility; and National Jewish provides a large specialty care network, he said. "By aligning the inpatient and outpatient care teams we can better coordinate care for the benefit of all patients."
Saint Joseph is the only one of SCL's nine hospitals that will be included in the joint venture. Some National Jewish research and educational operations will be excluded from the joint company. The two partners will share revenues from the joint venture. They will not be merging assets. No information was available as Catholic Health World went to press on whether or how much the partners will be investing in the joint company. Nor was information available on the joint company's board composition or leadership.
Plans call for Saint Joseph and National Jewish to retain their names.
Turbyfill said the dynamics of health care reform require health systems to expand their capabilities and this joint operating agreement is one way SCL is doing that. "The key is that we're looking to partner with organizations in novel ways and capitalize on the synergies," Turbyfill said.