Springfield’s biggest employer to merge with East Coast health system

Mercy Health, which operates the Springfield Regional Medical Center and Mercy Health-Urbana Hospital in Champaign County, will merge with Bon Secours Health System, a Catholic health ministry serving residents across the East Coast.

Mercy Health, headquartered in Cincinnati, is the largest employer in Springfield. It's the largest health system in Ohio and among the top five employers in the state, with more than 33,500 employees serving communities throughout Ohio and in Kentucky.

READ MORE: Construction to start on $223M Springfield plant, hiring 400

The merger will create one of the largest health systems in the country spanning seven states in the eastern half of the U.S., according to a news release.

“As consumers grapple with the implications of Health Care Reform in a dynamic marketplace, Mercy Health and Bon Secours share a vision to improve the health of the communities we serve as the low-cost, high-value provider,” said John M. Starcher, Jr., Mercy Health President and CEO. “Working together, our strong faith-based heritage fuels our mutual focus to provide efficient and effective health care for each patient who comes through our doors.”

RELATED: New leader of Springfield hospital to focus on patients

DETAILS: Springfield hospital gets national certification for stroke care

The merger creates the fifth largest Catholic health system in the country, allowing the new entity to leverage economies of scale by integrating resources and teams across the ministries, the release says.

In the coming months, both parties will work together to finalize a definitive merger agreement, obtain applicable approvals and complete plans to merge. While there is no specific date outlined, executives at both Mercy Health and Bon Secours expect to complete this merger by the end of the calendar year.

MORE BUSINESS NEWS: 

Champaign County officials push forward plan to build new hotel 

Big spikes in construction last year in Springfield, Champaign County 

Springfield nursing home investigation: Patient ODs on unlocked pills 

About the Author