The giant U.S. health system created by the 2013 merger of Catholic Health East and Trinity Health announced it will be named Trinity Health.
The Livonia, Mich.-based system has operated with a working name, CHE Trinity Health, since the merger that combined Catholic Health East, which then owned 23 hospitals across nine states, with Trinity Health, a system that at the time owned and managed 50 hospitals in 10 states. The combined entity ended its most recent fiscal year last June with operating income of $119.6 million on revenue of $13.6 billion.
The new name sheds the acronym of the merger's smaller partner, which was formerly based in Newtown Square, Pa. Catholic Health East was originally formed in 1998.
Dr. Richard Gilfillan, Trinity Health's chief executive, said the system's governing board and executives worked to define the new system's corporate identity as they developed its vision and strategy for the coming years. The system's strategy through 2020 will target physician engagement and population health and seek to leverage its diverse operations, among other priorities to develop what Gilfillan called “people-centered care.” For example, each of Trinity Health's regional health systems will have a Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organization starting in 2015, with a few exceptions, he said.
In a news release, the system said its new name emphasizes the Catholic affiliation of Catholic Health East and Trinity Health. "In addition to the Holy Trinity being a core belief of the Catholic Church, Trinity in our name reflects our commitment to the ministry of healing body, mind and spirit," Sister Mary Persico, Trinity Health's executive vice president of Mission Integration, said in the release.
Mergers and other deals between Catholic healthcare providers and non-Catholic providers may be subject to new church oversight after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted to revise the way they apply the church's ethical and religious directives to transactions and partnerships among healthcare organizations and providers.
The mammoth Trinity Health hospital system, which also includes 128 continuing-care facilities and home health and hospice services, is one among many regional and national giants created by a recent wave of consolidation. A growing number of deals have consolidated markets; expanded companies' geographic reach; or diversified systems' operations beyond hospital operations into outpatient care and insurance.
Trinity Health has since entered into a novel deal in Michigan with another giant Catholic health system, Ascension Health. The two announced an integrated network with wide reach across the state that would contract with managed-care companies.
Chief executives of the original Trinity entities, Judith Persichilli of Catholic Health East and Joseph Swedish of Trinity Health, made an exit after the announced merger, and were replaced in October 2013 by Gilfillan, former director of the CMS Innovation Center.
Follow Melanie Evans on Twitter: @MHmevans
