Non-profit Intermountain Healthcare and SCL Health signed a Letter of Intent to merge. The merger would create a model health system that provides high-quality, accessible, and affordable health care services in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, and Kansas. Financial terms have not been disclosed. The merged organization will serve as a model for faith-based (SCL Health) and secular (Intermountain) health care systems to come together to deliver high-quality and affordable care, extending their missions to more people. 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.

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 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 chief executive officer 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.

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.

Intermountain Healthcare is a non-profit 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.

SCL Health is a faith-based, non-profit 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.

This was reported by Intermountain Healthcare on September 16, 2021.

Contact information: Daron Cowley, Media Relations Director, Communications, Intermountain Healthcare, 36 S State St, 11th Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84111; 801-442-2834; Email: daron.cowley@imail.org; Website: http://www.intermountainhealthcare.org