Henry Ford Health to finalize deal, combine with Ascension Michigan on Sept. 30

Henry Ford Health says it will finalize a deal to combine with Ascension Michigan on Sept. 30, creating a single, 15-hospital system spanning metro Detroit, Flint and Jackson.

It plans to begin operating as a joined, $10.5 billion organization starting Oct. 1, with roughly 50,000 employees and more than 550 care sites.

“Words can’t express how excited we are to find ourselves at this moment,” said Bob Riney, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health, in a statement. “Since we announced our proposed joint venture last fall, we’ve been engaged in thoughtful planning across our organizations — all focused on how we plan to come together to build the future of health on behalf of those we serve.”

Although Henry Ford Health has said no cash will be exchanged as part of what it's calling a joint venture, it will assume operations of eight of Ascension Michigan's acute care hospitals and a specialty hospital, Ascension Brighton Center for Recovery.

The expanded health system will remain headquartered in Detroit and will be led by Riney and take Henry Ford's name and branding. It will be governed by a board of directors with representatives from both Henry Ford Health and Ascension Michigan. At least initially, the Catholic affiliation of the Ascension Michigan facilities will continue.

"Conversations on the future state of the Catholic identity of these facilities are ongoing," Henry Ford said when it first announced the deal last year.

Henry Ford Health didn't answer questions from the Free Press on Monday about what role, if any, the Archdiocese of Detroit or the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will play in defining how LGBTQ care and reproductive health care is provided at the former Ascension properties.

More: Ascension workers get Henry Ford Health passwords, insurance as deal nears closure

The Free Press obtained an internal document last week that was emailed to physicians in the Ascension Michigan system, outlining plans to transition benefit-eligible workers to the Health Alliance Plan (HAP), which is owned by Henry Ford Health, for medical insurance by Sept. 16. It also said Ascension workers were to be given IDs and passwords to allow them access to Henry Ford's computer systems starting Aug. 29.

Ascension properties also are to be transitioned to Henry Ford Health's tech platforms, including the Epic electronic charting system for its online patient portal, Henry Ford MyChart .

During the initial phase of the combined operations, Carol Schmidt, senior vice president of Ascension and CEO of Ascension Michigan, will partner with Riney to assist with the integration, Henry Ford Health said in a news release.

In addition, Henry Ford Health said the executive team of the new, larger health system is to include:

• Dr. Adnan Munkarah, who will be president, clinical enterprise and chief physician executive. He will oversee clinical care and the health care delivery system.
• Denise Brooks-Williams, who will be the executive vice president and chief operating officer. She will oversee operations, supply chain, and support services.
• Robin Damschroder, who will be president of value-based enterprise and chief financial officer.
• Steven Bender, who will join Henry Ford on Oct. 21 as executive vice president and chief legal officer.
• Dennis Butts, who will be executive vice president and chief strategy and network development officer.
• Patrick Kelly, who will transition from the Ascension Michigan Foundation to become Henry Ford Health's chief mission integration officer.
• Dr. Doug Apple, who is Ascension Michigan’s chief clinical officer, and Tom Klein, chief operating officer of Ascension Medical Group Michigan, also are to join the Henry Ford Health senior leadership team.

More: As large Michigan health systems merge, independent hospitals are vanishing

When the deal is completed, St. Louis-based Ascension will have just four remaining hospitals in Michigan — all in the southwestern region of the state.

Last month, Ascension spun off three hospitals in Standish, Tawas and Saginaw to Midland-based MyMichigan Health, along with a nursing home and stand-alone emergency department and surgery center.

Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Subscribe to the Free Press .

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Henry Ford Health to finalize deal, combine with Ascension Michigan on Sept. 30