SLUCare Physician Group Joining SSM Health
Two Catholic healthcare organizations in the St. Louis region, SSM Health and Saint Louis University’s SLUCare Physicians Group, are coming together to form an integrated health network.
Under a new agreement reached in principle, the two organizations will bring together the academic medical expertise of SLUCare Physician Group with SSM Health’s community-based care model. Ownership of SLUCare Physician Group will transition from Saint Louis University to SSM Health when the transaction closes. The agreement is expected to be finalized later this summer, pending all regulatory and other approvals.
SSM Health, SLUCare Physician Group and Saint Louis University School of Medicine have partnered for decades at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital and, more recently, at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. Fully integrating SLUCare Physician Group into SSM Health will provide the community with seamless access to all levels of care, from primary care and preventive services to highly specialized quaternary procedures and clinical trials that can deliver potentially breakthrough life-saving treatments, the organizations said.
With care delivery sites in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, SSM Health includes 23 hospitals, more than 290 physician offices and other outpatient and virtual care services, 10 post-acute facilities, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company and an accountable care organization.
SLUCare’s more than 600 faculty and other medical professionals have expertise in more than 50 medical specialties. Through this agreement, SLUCare will become a dedicated academic physician division within SSM Health - St. Louis, and partner closely with SSM Health Medical Group’s more than 600 community-based providers with more than 50 physician office locations as well as virtual and digital health services.
The agreement also represents a significant investment in the Saint Louis University School of Medicine to expand clinical research, medical training and education in the region, the organizations said.
“Both SSM Health and Saint Louis University School of Medicine have a rich legacy of providing hope and healing to those in need across the St. Louis community,” said Laura S. Kaiser, president and CEO of SSM Health, in a statement. “SSM Health’s founding congregation, the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, first arrived in St. Louis 150 years ago. As stewards of the healing ministry they began in 1872, we are thrilled to be taking this next step in our shared mission to ensure every patient gets the best care possible, while keeping that care affordable for the individuals and families we serve."
“The integration of SLUCare into SSM Health – St. Louis will create one of the most comprehensive fully integrated academic and community-based physician groups in the region, with more than 1,200 providers,” said Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., president of Saint Louis University, in a statement. “This partnership will bolster our collective goal to improve the quality of life across generations and cultures while addressing the social determinants of health that prevent our neighbors from living life to the fullest. It will further serve to strengthen the academic and research missions of the School of Medicine.”
