United Memorial Medical Center on Thursday announced it is merging with the Rochester General Health System, a move intended to preserve access to a full range of health care services in Genesee County and to ensure the hospital's future financial stability. Under terms of the merger, which still requires approval from federal and state agencies, UMMC would retain its name and its own board of directors. Staffing is expected to remain at its current level while the Rochester system invests in new technologies and service lines at the Batavia site. Recognizing the difficulty of continuing to operate as an independent community hospital, UMMC officials said they also discussed merging with health care systems in Buffalo before making the decision to formally affiliate with the Rochester system.
