Genesis Health System has officially joined MercyOne, adding its six medical centers, 100 other care sites and all other interests and operations to the Catholic system's collection, according to an announcement Wednesday.
The Midwest nonprofits announced they would enter into a “strategic partnership” nearly half a year ago. Before that, Genesis' board gave the go-ahead to explore a partnership in December 2021.
Genesis operates in eastern Iowa and the Quad Cities area of western Illinois, while West Des Moines, Iowa-based MercyOne's 16 hospitals are located throughout its home state. Trinity Health, MercyOne's parent company, is one of the largest systems in the country with 88 hospitals in 26 states.
“We are excited to welcome Genesis to MercyOne and look forward to building a framework to improve access to personalized, convenient healthcare in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois,” said Bob Ridge, president and CEO of MercyOne, in a press release .
Genesis President and CEO Doug Cropper previously said the organization was seeking “a partner willing to make a significant investment in Genesis that will enhance our ability to grow, thrive and provide more seamless comprehensive care in our region.”
Other earlier statements emphasized that the nonprofit was not in a position of financial need and supported the strong cultural fit between Genesis and MercyOne.
As part of MercyOne, Genesis will be able to leverage the skills, talent and scale of national and regional resources while maintaining our local leadership and focus,” Cropper said in Wednesday's announcement. “We will deepen our commitment to quality, safety and patient experience and strengthen our workforce retention and recruitment efforts.”
Work to integrate the two systems continues, according to the release, during which “patients can expect the same quality care from providers they know and trust.”
The deal has implications for Genesis Health Services Foundation and Genesis Philanthropy, two charitable foundations run by Genesis Health System.
The former, which operates in the greater Quad Cities area, will remain part of the merged Genesis-MercyOne system. The latter, which helps those in eastern Iowa and western Illinois, is being done with a $40 million investment as an independent organization called the Better Health Foundation. It will be “fully operational” on July 1.
Prior to the merger, MercyOne saw 3.3 million patients at more than 400 care centers and sites annually, generating more than $3 billion in combined annual revenue. Its parent company Trinity reported annual operating revenue of $20.2 billion in 2021.
