Mercy Health will transfer ownership of its Mercy Hospital Hot Springs (Ark.) to St. Vincent Health System, an affiliate of Catholic Health Initiatives.
The 282-bed hospital will be operated under the new name St. Vincent Hot Springs as part of a regional network within St. Vincent Health System, based in Little Rock, Ark.
“The affiliation with SVHS provides the opportunity to strengthen health services locally as well as across the entire region, and enables our co-workers and physicians to continue to do what they love—provide exceptional care and service to their community in a faith-based environment,” Mercy President and CEO Lynn Britton said in a release.
CHI has selected Thomas Fitz to serve as the hospital's interim president. Fitz, formerly CEO of Catholic Health East's St. Mary's Hospital and Health Care System, Athens, Ga., has worked with CHI before as an interim leader during ownership transfers.
Physicians and staff currently working for Mercy Hospital Hot Springs will maintain their employment status with the hospital, according to a release from CHI and Mercy. Community outreach services and charity care are also expected to continue as is, particularly through continued sponsorship of the Cooper Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center.
CHI this week announced a deal for QualChoice Holdings, Arkansas' second-largest HMO. CHI will buy out QualChoice owners TriZetto Corp., the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Tenet HealthSystem Medical, Arkansas Children's Hospital and QualChoice of Arkansas. CHI's St. Vincent Health is also an existing owner in QualChoice.
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