Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Cadence Health Finalize Plans to Combine Health Systems

CHICAGO, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (NMHC) today announced the completion of agreements that formally integrate Cadence Health with NMHC. The agreement takes effect September 1, and signifies the expansion of NMHC's Northwestern Medicine^® branded health system to four Illinois hospitals, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital in Lake Forest, Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield and Delnor Hospital in Geneva.

"We are honored to welcome Cadence Health into the Northwestern Medicine family," said Dean M. Harrison, NMHC President and CEO. "Cadence is an ideal health system to combine with as their vision, mission and values are very similar to ours. Together, we will continue to deliver the Northwestern Medicine brand promise, which is to provide trusted, quality care that is accessible where patients live and work, safe and accountable, and centered on world-class medicine."

On July 14, the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board unanimously approved NMHC's application to combine health systems. The integration creates an expanded health delivery network encompassing more than 60 sites of care across metro Chicago and the north and western suburbs, approximately 1,600 inpatient beds, 19,500 employees, and a combined medical staff with 4,000 physicians.

The cornerstone of Northwestern Medicine is NMHC's shared vision with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Their shared commitment centers on enhancing the patient experience through growing clinical programs and services; attracting and retaining leading physicians, medical researchers and clinical experts; and building a high-performing workforce. Other benefits for patients include (but are not limited to) clinical and economic efficiencies through:

• Shared best practices across our medical staffs in areas such as quality, safety and evidence-based care, to cite a few examples;
• Expanded outpatient and preventive medicine services;
• Coordinated access to tertiary care through primary care physicians;
• Increased access to clinical trials and specialized acute care in health specialties including neurology and neurosurgery, cardiology and cardiac surgery, transplant, hematology and oncology, orthopaedic interventions, high-risk obstetrics and more.

Harrison remains President and CEO of the expanded NMHC health system, and Mike Vivoda, Cadence Health's President and CEO will be NMHC Regional President, Western Region. Additional executive leadership who will transition from Cadence to NMHC include Cadence CFO and Executive Vice President John Orsini being named NMHC CFO and Senior Vice President, and Liz Rosenberg Cadence's Executive Vice President of Strategy and Administration being named NMHC Senior Vice President, Strategy.   

"Our union is great for patients because it positions us to continue to provide unrivaled quality care within our communities," said Vivoda. "As one integrated health system, not only can we continue to fulfill the health needs of our region, we can leverage our collective strength as Northwestern Medicine to build stronger, healthier communities."

About Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (NMHC) is an academic health delivery system whose entities operate as Northwestern Medicine^®. As of September 1, NMHC will consist of 60 sites of outpatient care services throughout Chicago and Illinois' northern and western suburban regions, including four hospitals; Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital in Lake Forest, Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Delnor Hospital in Geneva and its flagship Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, which is rated No. 1 in Chicago and Illinois, as well as 10^th in the nation according to the U.S. News & World Report 2014-2015 Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals. Additionally, the health system will also include Northwestern Medical Group, more than 1,000 physicians who hold faculty appointments at NMHC Northwestern Medicine partner Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Cadence Physician Group, a local network of more than 250 primary care physicians and specialists on the medical staffs at Central DuPage Hospital and Delnor Hospital; and approximately 2,800 affiliated physicians.

About Northwestern Medicine®
Northwestern Medicine^® is the collaboration between Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine around a strategic vision to transform the future of healthcare. It encompasses the research, teaching, and patient care activities of the academic medical center. Sharing a commitment to superior quality, academic excellence and patient safety, the organizations within Northwestern Medicine comprise a combined workforce of more than 25,000 among clinical and administrative staff, medical and science faculty and medical students. The entities involved in Northwestern Medicine remain separate organizations. Northwestern Medicine is a trademark of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and is also used by Northwestern University.

SOURCE Northwestern Medicine