Now Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services and the successor to Sts. Mary & Elizabeth, Caritas Health Services, are forming Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare. The Nov. 1 merger will combine the resources of the two organizations but preserve their separate religious heritages.Health-care providers Jewish, Caritas to join
Historic merger will benefit both
By Patrick Howington
phowington@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
Two Louisville health-care companies — dating back more than a century and of different religious traditions — are merging. In 1874, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth opened Louisville’s first privately owned hospital at 12th & Magnolia streets, called Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital.
Nearly 30 years later prominent members of another faith began planning a hospital to treat poor Jews in Louisville — Jewish Hospital.
The Jewish Hospital organization will have 75 percent ownership of the new company, while Caritas’ parent will own 25 percent.
Robert Shircliff, CEO of Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services, will be president and CEO of the new company.
The merger has financial benefits for both organizations. They will get patients from each other. For example, Caritas’ emergency room will send patients to Jewish for heart surgery, while Jewish will refer patients to Caritas’ psychiatric hospital.
And the new company will invest at least $11 million a year to upgrade facilities and technology at Caritas’ two hospitals, Shircliff said.
Although Jewish has a majority interest, Caritas’ operations will keep their Catholic identity and mission.
The agreement “will combine our respective strengths and honor our religious heritages,” Paul Edgett, a vice president of Caritas’ parent, Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, said yesterday at a ceremony to sign merger papers. CHI operates 69 hospitals in 19 states.
