Becker’s: Prime Healthcare prepares to grow at a ‘rapid clip’

Ontario, California, 2024-Aug-05 — /EPR Network/ — Prime Healthcare President Dr. Sunny Bhatia was featured in Becker’s Hospital Review in a story chronicling plans for the acquisition of the Ascension Illinois hospitals and an eye toward the future.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights:

Strengthening Midwest Presence

This acquisition significantly enhances our Midwest regions.

“This transaction is unique in that it provides scale and therefore opportunity to create significant benefit to communities, patients, and Illinois,” Dr. Bhatia said.

This expansion is not merely about increasing our footprint; it reflects our deep commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare to diverse and underserved populations, consistent with our mission.

Commitment to Excellence and Community

Dr. Sunny Bhatia highlighted Prime Healthcare’s proven track record in revitalizing financially challenged hospitals, a crucial aspect as we integrate these new facilities.

He noted, “We are committed and uniquely able to improve, invest, and ensure the continued legacy of service of these hospitals, having saved and transformed over 40 hospitals across the country.”

This commitment is evident in our pledge to invest $250 million for facility upgrades, capital improvements, technology investments, and system enhancements at the following hospitals:

• Ascension Holy Family (Des Plaines)
• Ascension Mercy (Aurora)
• Ascension Resurrection (Chicago)
• Ascension Saint Elizabeth (Chicago)
• Ascension Saint Francis (Evanston)
• Ascension Saint Joseph (Elgin)
• Ascension Saint Joseph (Joliet)
• Ascension Saint Mary (Chicago)
• Ascension Saint Mary (Kankakee)

A Focused Integration Strategy

The approach to integration begins with in-depth conversations with local hospital leaders to respect and understand each facility’s unique legacy.

“Healthcare is local,” said Dr. Bhatia, underscoring the importance of maintaining the essence and heritage of each hospital while bringing them under our larger system.

This includes implementing instances of the Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) system across all new hospitals to standardize practices and enhance care quality.

Dr. Sunny Bhatia also pointed to the importance of expanding crucial service lines, including behavioral health programs and advanced cardiac and stroke care. These enhancements are part of our broader strategy to provide comprehensive, high-quality care across all facilities.

Looking Ahead

Prime Healthcare’s strong financial position enables us to pursue this acquisition without adding debt to the newly acquired hospitals. This acquisition is a significant step forward, but it is also an invitation to continue exploring further opportunities that align with our mission to turn around hospitals and add value to the communities we serve.

We are immensely proud of the dedication and hard work of our team members, which make achievements like this possible.

Together, we will continue to build on our legacy of delivering compassionate, high-quality healthcare across the nation.