Jan 20, 2024 4 min read

By Brook Ward

Caring for loved ones is an unmatched priority. From life’s earliest moments, these decisions are among our most personal and often most difficult. Serving patients individually – with the highest degree of compassion and professionalism – to better our community has been Washington Health System’s (WHS) privilege and responsibility for more than 127 years.

Across every aspect of our organization, made up of the region’s best and brightest health care professionals, we’re working hard and committed each day to improve the communities we serve.

Our maternity unit helps make new life safe for babies and their mothers. WHS’ oncology and radiology centers provide support to our patients and their families as they confront some of life’s greatest challenges.

While we all hope to spend as much of our lives in good health, we also want to know that when we need care it will be exceptional, personal, and local. That’s part of our commitment to the community, which we’re focused on serving and making stronger.

We also recognize that every community and its needs are different. WHS is proud of our approach to continuously improve our services, enabling us to meet evolving and diverse urban and rural community needs. From obstetrics and gynecology, cardiology, and behavioral health, right through to primary and emergency services, we are focused on delivering the services that improve local lives.

This is essential to providing the personal, effective care that patients expect and deserve. However, WHS has not been immune to the immense challenges facing the wider health care industry.

Hospital systems across America have been crippled by rising costs and inflation, increased regulatory requirements, and fewer resources, with rural and less-populated communities like ours disproportionately confronting closures and reduced patient access to critical care. 

The Pittsburgh-based Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform estimates approximately 30% of America’s rural hospitals are at risk of closing due to these growing financial pressures. More specifically, 27% of Pennsylvania’s rural hospitals face closure risks absent any meaningful and structural change. These challenges are impacting families and communities across southwestern Pennsylvania. WHS continues to see sharp patient declines as costs increase and reimbursements decrease to the point where the status quo is unsustainable. 

We knew we had to act before it was too late. After careful consideration, our board of directors – leaders in our community – as well as our management team, have identified a path forward that will allow WHS to continue serving our communities now and for years to come.

Affiliating with UPMC, a longstanding WHS partner, advances our shared goal of delivering the highest quality of health care to regional residents.

Throughout our search for an affiliate partner, we have been repeatedly impressed by UPMC’s shared commitment to our communities. Rather than entering the Washington and Greene County health care space unilaterally, UPMC understands the immense value that WHS’ community bonds provide to local patients.

WHS has the right partner in UPMC. Most important is our shared commitment to continue working together to improve the health of the communities that we’re grateful to serve.

As you may know, WHS currently has numerous clinical partnerships with UPMC, in both Washington and Greene counties, which provide our patients – more than 10,000 in 2023 alone – with world-class care. From cutting-edge cancer expertise and treatment at Washington Hospital, to onsite neonatal and obstetrics care, as well as the Children’s Hospital Express Care Clinic, our shared successes working alongside UPMC reflects the immediate and long-term patient and community benefits of our new affiliation. 

Drawing on this long record of positive patient care outcomes, we are confident this affiliation will strengthen our system’s ability to meet and exceed the health care needs of our community for years to come – all while preserving current jobs and creating new ones.

UPMC has committed to maintaining key WHS service lines for a minimum of 10 years, which includes a $300 million investment over that period to our network. No alternative partner has dedicated the same level of commitment to ensuring both the continuity of care we offer and the preservation and improvement of our community-based services.

It is important to note that thousands of residents across the region are insured by UPMC Health Plan and receive care across the WHS network. WHS has always accepted most local and national insurance, including coverage from Highmark and UPMC. This long-standing practice will continue without change.

Our affiliation with UPMC will ensure that when you – our patients and community partners – need us, we’ll be there for you. Just as we are now.

We believe the Washington and Greene communities deserve world-class health care. We’re taking action to keep that mission, now and for many years to come.

Brook Ward is the president and CEO of Washington Health System.