Trinity Health to Acquire MercyOne

The agreement unifies the health system with Trinity Health becoming the sole parent of all its facilities and assets.

MercyOne is set to be acquired by Trinity Health after an agreement with CommonSpirit Health was announced today.

All facilities and assets of the Iowa-based health system will transfer to Trinity Health, which had been operating MercyOne alongside Catholic Health Initiatives, now CommonSpirit, under a joint agreement since 1998.

The move allows Trinity Health to unify MercyOne's 16 medical centers, 27 affiliate organizations, and more than 420 care sites under one umbrella with the aim of improving patient access.

"True to our shared Catholic mission, our goal is to provide high-quality, compassionate care with the best patient/member experience possible," Mike Slubowski, president and CEO at Trinity Health, said in a statement. "We will accomplish that goal through a holistic approach, with a range of health services and technologies that are fully connected and coordinated. This agreement creates a fully integrated MercyOne to care for more people in a unified way."

Trinity Health, which spans 25 states, will transition MercyOne's common platforms into its own, including a single electronic health record, according to the news release. The result should allow the 3.3 million patients MercyOne serves each year to manage their care more easily and conveniently.

"We strongly believe this transition to become a full member of the Trinity Health family will result in a stronger, more cohesive health system better able to offer a convenient and personalized circle of care for all we serve," said Bob Ritz, president and chief executive officer at MercyOne.

Marvin O'Quinn, president and COO at CommonSpirit Health, said of the move: "While the current structure has been instrumental in growing our health care services in Iowa, we believe this decision is ultimately what is best for our patients, colleagues, and our communities."

The acquisition is subject to regulatory filings, with the transaction expected to be finalized by the summer.