Beaumont, Henry Ford Sign Letter of Intent to Combine Operations

Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System and Beaumont Health System, in Royal Oaks, Mich. have signed a letter of intent to combine their operations. The boards of the two not-for-profit health systems have authorized the development of the combined organization under unified leadership that will include 10 hospitals and 200 other patient care sites. The merger, if it goes through, is expected to be completed in the first half of 2013.

According to the announcement, the facilities of both systems will be connected by an EMR supplied by Epic Systems Corp., Verona, Wis. Beaumont’s installation of its EMR is complete; Henry Ford’s will be completed in 2014.

The new organization will be led by a single board with equal representation from both systems. It will include physician and nurse leaders from both organizations. A committee comprised or members of both organizations will oversee the integration into the unified health system, which will cover quality, medical staff, efficiency and information technology. The medical staffs from both entities will remain independent.