Lancaster (Pa.) General Health, a single-hospital system, will become part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
The deal, still subject to regulatory approval, is the result of discussions that began in October. It's a strategic move farther west for the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which includes four hospitals: three in Philadelphia and one in West Chester, Pa. Lancaster is about 70 miles west of Philadelphia and 40 miles west of West Chester.
As part of the deal, Lancaster General's board will now include representatives of Penn Medicine (composed of the health system and the medical school), and Lancaster General will gain representation of the UPenn Health System board. Lancaster General Health's assets will continue to be used to improve operations in the community it serves, according to a news release.
The two systems formed a strategic alliance over a year ago and have since engaged in several collaborations, including establishing a local liver transplant evaluation clinic and plans for kidney services this year. Lancaster General Health is also expected to join a Penn Medicine program that uses telemedicine to improve stroke care.
The Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences will remain a part of the Lancaster General Health System. Penn Medicine previously established an OB/GYN clerkship rotation at Lancaster General's Women & Babies Hospital and is looking for further opportunities for its medical students there, officials said.
