UPMC has officially expanded into a third state with the addition of Western Maryland Health System, the providers announced Monday.
The announcement follows an affiliation agreement the boards of both providers signed on Jan. 15, with Feb. 1 as the target closing date. The providers signed a letter of intent in March 2019 and said they expected to close by the end of last year.
The Pittsburgh-based UPMC health system has had a clinical affiliation with Cumberland, Md.-based WMHS—now known as UPMC Western Maryland—since early 2018, under which UPMC's behavioral health, oncology, cardiovascular and neurological specialists practice in WMHS' sole acute-care hospital.
"Becoming part of UPMC will allow us to further enhance healthcare services, leverage UPMC's innovation and clinical expertise, advance quality initiatives and continue our long-standing commitment to provide superior, compassionate care to patients throughout our tri-state service region," WMHS CEO Barry Ronan said in a statement.
The affiliation does not affect patients' insurance coverage; UPMC Western Maryland will continue to honor the contracts it has with regional and national insurers.
