Sylvania Franciscan Health Signs Definitive Agreement with Catholic Health Initiatives

TOLEDO, Ohio and ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (Sept. 10, 2014) – Sylvania Franciscan Health (SFH) and Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) signed a definitive agreement to transfer sponsorship of SFH from the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, to CHI. The transfer is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year.

The organizations entered into formal discussions earlier this year to bring together two strong systems with similar missions, values and long histories of care to the communities they serve.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, CHI will become the sole sponsor of Sylvania Franciscan Health, which includes Franciscan Living Communities in Kentucky and Ohio, St. Joseph Health System in the Brazos Valley region of Texas, Trinity Hospital Twin Cities in Eastern Ohio, and the Trinity Health System Region joint venture in Eastern Ohio near the West Virginia border.

While CHI will become sole sponsor of SFH, the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, will become CHI’s 13th participating congregation and continue to influence the industry landscape in this new role. The Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, will continue to sponsor their health and human services ministries of Bethany House, Our Lady of Grace, Rosary Care Center, the Sophia Center, and Convent Park Apartments, as well as their education ministry of Lourdes University. CHI anticipates that substantially all SFH employees will retain their current positions.

The decision to transfer sponsorship of SFH is a recognition that the health care industry is rapidly changing and faces a new model – one in which organizations are expected to offer integrated systems of care for specific geographical populations. As a result, many smaller health systems are joining larger systems in order to expand their care within existing regions. SFH has withstood these changes and many more throughout the past years.

Integrating with CHI will allow SFH to build on the strength of its health system and better support the expanding health care needs of the communities it serves.

“Sylvania Franciscan Health has a rich history of advancing the Catholic healthcare ministry throughout the communities we serve. Joining Catholic Health Initiatives will further strengthen our Mission and expand our influence that is a part of the legacy started almost one hundred years ago by our Sisters,” said Sylvania Franciscan Health CEO Jim Pope. “CHI and SFH are well-aligned in our missions and values, making this partnership one that brings together two very strong, complementary organizations. Through our combined skills and geographic reach, we will be able to bring new services to our communities.”

Together, CHI and SFH will navigate the new era of health care and develop innovative ways to build healthier communities. “SFH’s health ministries in Ohio, Texas, and Kentucky will be strengthened through their alignment with CHI and our existing facilities in Texas and Kentucky,” said CHI Chief Executive Officer Kevin Lofton. “The Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, have created a strong foundation for Catholic health care, and our shared values will merge to strengthen the delivery of highly reliable, quality care across the system.”

The transfer of sponsorship requires approvals from the Congregational Minister and General Council of the Sisters of St. Francis and the CHI Board of Stewardship Trustees, as well as federal, state and Church authorities.

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About Sylvania Franciscan Health: Sylvania Franciscan Health is the sponsored health and human services ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio. With core values of Reverence, Service and Stewardship at the forefront of its mission, the ministry serves communities throughout the United States. Membership organizations, with various locations in Ohio, Texas and Kentucky, currently include seven hospitals, seven long-term care facilities, four assisted living facilities, independent senior housing, ambulatory care centers, home health services, rehabilitation centers, a counseling center, and a long-term shelter for victims of domestic violence.

About the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania: Founded in Sylvania, Ohio in 1916, the Sisters of St. Francis live in the spirit of Francis of Assisi as joyful servants and messengers of peace, committed to works that reverence human dignity, embrace the poor and marginalized, and respect the gift of all creation. Sponsored ministries of the Sisters of St. Francis are Lourdes University, which includes the Franciscan Theater and Conference Center, and Sylvania Franciscan Health, with hospitals, nursing homes and retirement communities in Ohio, Kentucky and Texas.

About Catholic Health Initiatives: Catholic Health Initiatives, a nonprofit, faith-based health system formed in 1996 through the consolidation of four Catholic health systems, expresses its mission each day by creating and nurturing healthy communities in the hundreds of sites across the nation where it provides care. One of the nation’s largest health systems, Englewood, Colo.-based CHI operates in 18 states and comprises 93 hospitals, including four academic medical centers and teaching hospitals: 24 critical access facilities; community health services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home-health agencies; and other facilities that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care. In fiscal year 2013, CHI provided $762 million in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics, education and research.