Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/16/2021 --Intermountain Healthcare and SCL Health -- two leading nonprofit healthcare organizations -- have signed a Letter of Intent to merge and create a model health system that provides high-quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare to more patients and communities in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, and Kansas.

Upon completion of the merger, the combined system will employ more than 58,000 caregivers and operate 33 hospitals. It will run 385 clinics across six states and provide health insurance to about one million people. Intermountain and SCL Health currently provide services in adjacent areas with no geographic overlap.

"We're excited to merge with SCL Health to usher in a new frontier for the health of communities throughout the Intermountain West and beyond," said Marc Harrison, MD, president and CEO of Intermountain. "American healthcare needs to accelerate the evolution toward population health and value, and this merger will swiftly advance that cause across a broader geography. We'll bring together the best practices of both organizations to do even more to enhance clinical excellence, transform the patient experience, and support healthy lives."

"SCL Health and Intermountain are pursuing our merger from positions of strength," said Lydia Jumonville, president and CEO of SCL Health. "We are two individually strong health systems that are seeking to increase care quality, accessibility, and affordability. We will advance our missions and better serve the entire region together."

Both leaders reiterated that it is an extremely busy time for everyone in healthcare, especially given the resurgence of COVID-19. As the merger moves forward, the organizations will continue to maintain focus on caregiver and patient well-being as a top priority.

The merged organization will serve as a model for faith-based (SCL Health) and secular (Intermountain) healthcare systems to come together to deliver high-quality and affordable care, extending their missions to more people. The resources and expertise of the merged organization will further extend its mission-focused approach to serving patients, particularly vulnerable populations, and accelerate meeting patient and community needs.

Intermountain and SCL Health are committed to excellence in clinical outcomes, quality, and safety, and both organizations have a solid operating and financial performance record. Intermountain brings a successful model of value-based care and population health expertise, a robust digital health platform, and an extensive telehealth network. SCL Health brings expertise in operating an integrated healthcare organization across multiple states, with proven success in competitive markets.

The merged health system will be headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a regional office in Broomfield, Colorado. Dr. Marc Harrison of Intermountain will serve as the president and CEO of the merged organization. Lydia Jumonville of SCL Health will remain in her current role during a two-year integration and serve as a board member on a new combined board to ensure the integration of the two systems. The newly integrated Board of Trustees and leadership team will be selected from both systems.

Under the Letter of Intent, while the organization will be named Intermountain Healthcare, SCL Health's Catholic hospitals will retain their distinctive Catholic names and continue to operate according to existing practices. In addition to seven Catholic hospitals, SCL Health operates one secular hospital in Colorado.

The intention is that a definitive agreement will be finalized and signed by the end of 2021. The merger of the two companies is expected to close in early 2022, pending all approvals.

About Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, 42,000 employees, a medical group, SelectHealth insurance company, and other health services in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare using evidence-based best practices to deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs consistently.

About SCL Health
SCL Health is a faith-based, nonprofit healthcare system of eight hospitals, 160 physician clinics, and 16,000 employees. Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth in 1864, SCL Health today provides comprehensive, coordinated care at its hospitals, clinics, home health, hospice, mental health, and safety-net locations in Colorado, Montana, and Kansas.