The University of Wisconsin plans to establish a presence in a major northern Illinois city that has seen several hospital merger plans flounder in recent years. UW Health system plans to merge with SwedishAmerican Health System in Rockford, Ill.
UW Health, which operates the 530-bed University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, has been affiliated with SwedishAmerican since 2010, in a partnership that led to the construction of the $40 million SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center in Rockford, according to a joint statement from the healthcare providers.
SwedishAmerican also receives telemedicine services from UW Health. The systems are in relative proximity to each other, with less than an hour and a half drive between Madison and Rockford, even though they are in different states.
Both boards of directors have approved a letter of intent, and the deal is expected to close by the end of the year, pending regulatory approval.