Pardee Hospital Affiliates with UNC Health

Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, NC has entered into an affiliation agreement with the UNC Health Care System, becoming the second hospital in the Tar Heel State to affiliate with a major health system this month.

"Pardee is a well respected and exceptionally strong community provider that shares a similar mission with UNC Health Care," Gary L. Park, president of UNC Hospitals, said in a media release. "We look forward to joining Pardee in developing an even better healthcare system for the citizens of Henderson County and the region."

Also, the Pardee Hospital board of directors named James "Jay" Kirby II as president/CEO. Kirby most recently was senior vice-president/CAO of Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, SC.

Pardee Hospital is a not-for-profit community hospital that is licensed for 222 acute care beds and is the second largest employer in Henderson County. The hospital has several locations separate from the main campus, including an adult day services center, a health education center, home care services, rehab and wellness center, a midwifery program, various family and internal medicine practices, and an urgent care facility.

On June 6, Person Memorial Hospital in Roxboro, NC, announced that it plans to become the second hospital to affiliate with Duke LifePoint Healthcare, a joint venture of Duke University Health System, Inc. and LifePoint Hospitals. PMH's board of trustees approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding that allows the 110-bed, community owned hospital and Duke LifePoint to negotiate the acquisition, PMC said.

Duke LifePoint is a joint venture formed last year between Duke University Health System and LifePoint Hospitals to create a network of affiliated community hospitals throughout North Carolina. The venture combines Brentwood, TN-based LifePoint's operational resources and management of community-based hospitals with Duke's clinical and quality services expertise. If the deal is finalized, PMH will become the second hospital in the Duke LifePoint network. The first hospital, Maria Parham Medical Center in Henderson, NC, entered the affiliation in January.