The University Health Care System will soon be joining Piedmont Healthcare.

The system’s board of directors unanimously approved a non-binding Letter of Intent on Wednesday for University Health Care System, the operator of University Hospital in Augusta, to join Piedmont Healthcare, a provider in Georgia.

“We are thrilled about this strategic move to advance healthcare in our community,” said Hugh Hamilton, chairman of University’s Board of Directors and the Richmond County Hospital Authority. “We know the future will demand more of us, and our partnership with Piedmont will enable us to transform healthcare for the Augusta region – ensuring University Health Care System can continue to provide exceptional care and fulfill our mission of improving the health of those we serve for future generations.”

Piedmont plans to invest more than $1 billion over 10 years to enhance and expand University facilities, information technology, clinical infrastructure and operational capabilities to better serve the healthcare needs of the region.

Piedmont will also invest at least $2 million annually to support community benefit programs and other initiatives to address health disparities and inequities.

Current staff will be maintained.

“We are excited about the potential of partnering with University Health Care System to serve the patients of the greater Augusta region,” said Kevin Brown, president and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare. “We have a great deal of respect for the work they’re doing and the caliber of the administrative and clinical team. We share a common culture that includes a focus on quality and safety, fiscal responsibility and service to our collective communities. These are hallmarks of a good partnership, so I’m pleased that we’re able to explore further collaboration.”

The non-binding LOI is the first step toward a partnership as it allows for a period of due diligence for the two organizations to spend time learning more about each other and to determine specific terms of a partnership before final decisions are made.

“We’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve on our own as an independent health system,” said James R. Davis, president and CEO of University Health Care System. “By making this decision now, we’re able to enter this process from a position of strength, building upon University’s 203-year legacy and stable leadership that has engineered success through foresight and financial stewardship. Simply, now is the right time to move forward, and we are very much looking forward to pursuing this partnership with Piedmont and fulfilling our mission for years to come.”

For more information about the process, visit UniversityHealthFuture.org.

Originally Appeared On: https://www.postandcourier.com/aikenstandard/lifestyle/health/university-hospital-joining-piedmont-healthcare-in-mega-deal/article_45816496-b343-11eb-9816-cbe0e8487615.html