Prognosis: Acquisition complete
Washington Health System on Tuesday completed its previously announced acquisition of Southwest Regional Medical Center in Waynesburg.
WHS Chief Executive Officer Gary Weinstein said later Tuesday that as of today, the 49-bed health care facility will be called Washington Health System Greene.
Also effective today, Terry Wiltrout becomes president of the Greene County unit. He succeeds Cynthia Cowie, who served as CEO of the facility and continued to lead it during its transition to WHS.
In early May, WHS reached a tentative agreement with Southwest Regional’s owner, RegionalCare Hospital Partners of Brentwood, Tenn., to acquire the hospital.
At the time, Weinstein said the merger was a good fit, noting WHS already has numerous service offerings in Greene County, including a family medicine practice, OBGYN practice and outpatient services such as laboratory draws and ultrasound. Its WHS Cardiovascular Practice operates inside SRMC for both outpatient and inpatient services.
The merger also helps the smaller hospital spread out its costs by being a part of WHS, Weinstein said Tuesday.
“It’s so difficult for a small hospital to control their fixed overhead,” without integrating costs across a larger entity, he said.
SRMC will continue offering 24-hour emergency services, a full range of diagnostic imaging specialties, a fully accredited laboratory, cardiology services, hyperbaric would care and home health services.
According to Weinstein, several other WHS groups providing services at Washington Hospital will also take over similar operations at WHS Greene, including Keystone Anesthesia, Greater Washington Radiology Group and Pathology Associates of Washington.
While independent physicians will remain on staff at the Waynesburg unit, Weinstein said five of the hospital’s physicians there – Amy Diamond, M.D. (family medicine); John Martin, D.O. (family medicine); Richard Ajayi, M.D. (psychiatry); Darlene Saheta, D.P.M. (podiatry); and Jami Pincavitch, M.D. (hospitalist) – have joined WHS.
Weinstein said WHS will honor existing union contracts at SRMC, where Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania represents about 150 registered nurses, technicians and service workers. SEIU also represents 400 service and maintenance workers at Washington Hospital.
WHS will spend about $1 million for facility and information technology upgrades. and another $760,000 to acquire SRMC’s medicine and supply inventory.