Over the course of the next two years, two major South Florida healthcare organizations – Baptist Health and Bethesda Health – will be merging their operations. While patients and employees will see some changes, most notably in the area of expanded clinical care services, what’s more important is that this affiliation will serve to make both organizations, and the communities that they serve, even stronger.
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“Watching all of the changes taking place in the industry, our board asked management to take a look at what the future might hold, taking into account the considerable cuts and challenges that hospitals have been facing,” explained Roger L. Kirk, FACHE, president and CEO, Bethesda Health. “Would it be possible for a freestanding hospital to even survive in the future? What they concluded, and what many hospitals across the country are realizing, is that it was going to be tough to survive without consolidating.“Just like in many other industries, healthcare is undergoing a lot of consolidation, particularly in Florida, where we’re probably going to be seeing five or six large systems controlling healthcare across the state, and similarly, across the country,” he continued. “We wanted to find a system with a similar culture, vision and mission, and concluded that Baptist would be a good match.”
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According to Wayne Brackin, EVP, COO, Baptist Health, it helped that the two systems’ leadership teams already knew each other through a number of professional organizations, including the Florida Hospital Association. “We already had pretty strong professional relationships, as well as mutual interests in some clinical areas, such as our Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology, and vascular, so there was a really good opportunity for mutual advancement in our service lines,” he explained. “This affiliation would also enable us to have a broader geographic footprint, particularly in Palm Beach County.”As the largest health care organization in the region, Baptist Health South Florida has seven hospitals and nearly 50 outpatient and urgent care facilities in three counties. Bethesda Health, Inc., is comprised of two not-for-profit hospitals, in addition to institutes for orthopaedics and rehabilitative medicine and a Center for Women and Children, among other facilities.
Over the next two years, the healthcare systems will collaborate in a number of areas, from making significant decisions regarding major clinical equipment and IT systems, to reducing variations in clinical care, applying best practices to create system standards. “There will be some changes, some give and take as we get in sync with what these practices will be going forward from a clinical standpoint,” said Brackin.
“We’ll be looking into clinically integrating programs, potentially in areas suchas cardiac, cancer and orthopaedics, which will result in patients in the community being introduced to some new clinical experts,” added Kirk. “The growth and expansion of these programs is probably the most noticeable aspect that patients will see.”
Employees of the two systems should not expect to see too many changes, though the addition of more facilities may provide opportunities for them to work at other locations. The board and management at Bethesda will remain intact, and the brand will remain, though it will be designated as Bethesda Health, an affiliate of Baptist Health South Florida. “This is an exciting time, as we will be able to expand and make our programs more accessible,” said Kirk of the aggressive growth strategy.
“I think the fact that we are both mission-driven, and not-for-profit is something that needs to be preserved and enhanced,” added Brackin. “Anything that makes both Baptist and Bethesda stronger is a good thing.”
