Baystate Health and Trinity Health Of New England Sign Definitive Agreement to Integrate Mercy Medical Center and Strengthen Regional Care

SPRINGFIELD, Mass — Baystate Health and Trinity Health Of New England have signed a Definitive Agreement to transition Mercy Medical Center, its joint venture affiliates and medical group entities in Massachusetts to Baystate Health, pending regulatory approvals.

Trinity Health Of New England will continue to own and operate Brightside for Families and Children and will continue to own and provide continuing care services in Western Massachusetts, including Mercy LIFE, Beaven Kelly Home and Saint Luke’s Home.

Baystate Health will preserve Mercy’s nonprofit mission, community commitment and legacy of high-quality care. Both organizations are committed to ensuring a smooth and collaborative process for colleagues, patients and partners. Until the transition is complete and receives all regulatory approvals, Mercy Medical Center and Baystate Health will continue to operate independently.

“Mercy and the Sisters of Providence have been a fixture in our community since 1874,” said, Peter D. Banko, President & CEO, Baystate Health. “This is an investment in both the past and the future of health care and economic development in western Massachusetts. Today, access forces too many patients to leave the region to seek care, and we need to ensure that care is compassionate, high quality, affordable, and local. We have been and will continue to be a pillar of our community – rooted here, serving here, and helping generations thrive here.”

To aim to preserve local access to high-quality care, Mercy Medical Center explored potential strategic partnerships and collaborations with other providers and determined Baystate Health shared its vision for the long-term sustainability of health care services in the community. Like many other health care providers, Mercy has faced significant challenges and financial pressures that threatened its long-term viability. Despite substantial efforts to improve its financial position, sustainability remained at risk due to inadequate reimbursement for care, industry-wide shifts such as declining payment rates, changing consumer preferences toward outpatient services, and persistent staffing shortages. By transitioning to Baystate Health, both Mercy and Baystate will be better positioned to meet the continued health care needs of the region.

“Mercy Medical Center has long been a trusted source of compassionate care for the people of Western Massachusetts,” said Montez Carter, FACHE, President & CEO of Trinity Health Of New England. “Our decision to transition Mercy to Baystate Health reflects our shared aim to ensuring that patients continue to have access to high-quality care. We are confident that Baystate Health will honor Mercy’s legacy and strengthen its ability to meet the evolving needs of the community.”

This agreement reflects extensive planning, collaboration and a shared vision for the future of health care in Western Massachusetts and it will help address regional access challenges with the aim to ensure patients can continue to receive high-quality care locally.

To keep the community informed, website pages on BaystateHealth.org and TrinityHealthOfNE.org have been developed that includes information and updates about the transition: www.baystatehealth.org/mercy and trinityhealthofne.org/baystate. These sites will be updated as new information becomes available.

About Baystate Health

Baystate Health is a not-for-profit, integrated healthcare system with hospitals, physician practices, health plan and more serving over 800,000 people throughout western New England. Baystate Health is the safety net provider in Western Massachusetts. With roots dating to the founding of Springfield Hospital in 1883, Baystate Health has been providing high-quality, compassionate and accessible care in the Pioneer Valley for more than 140 years and continues to be a pillar of its community – rooted here, serving here, and helping generations thrive here. With a focus on advancing health for all, Baystate is not only a keystone of the region, it is a national leader in healthcare. Learn more at BaystateHealth.org.

About Mercy Medical Center

Mercy Medical Center has established itself as one of the leading providers of health care services in Western Massachusetts. In 2015, Mercy Medical Center became part of Trinity Health Of New England, an integrated health care delivery system that is a member of Trinity Health, Livonia, Michigan, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation serving communities in 22 states. Mercy Medical Center is a 182-bed acute care hospital in Springfield. Other facilities include Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital, a comprehensive hospital-based rehabilitation center on the campus of Mercy Medical Center, and the Sister Caritas Cancer Center. Visit us at TrinityHealthOfNE.org for more information and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MercyMedicalMA and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mercymedicalma.