HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — West Virginia University Health System is one step closer to acquiring Independence Health and its five local hospitals.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Independence Health System plans to join WVU Health System by fall of 2026
“I think it’s a great example of how we can work together as a region to make things better,” WVU Health System President and CEO Albert L. Wright Jr. said.
If approved, this deal would make WVU the second largest hospital group in Western Pennsylvania, behind UPMC.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Agreement reached for WVU Health System to acquire Independence Health System
As Channel 11’s Amy Hudak reports, the state attorney general’s office still has to sign off on the deal.
“This is about improving and expanding the care that is available in our local communities,” Independence Health President and CEO Ken DeFurio said.
Top executives at WVU and Independence Health are calling the potential deal a win-win.
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Friday, the attorney general’s office held a public hearing in Hempfield Township to hear directly from community members. Support for the acquisition was overwhelming.
If approved, WVU Health would acquire Independence Health and its five local hospitals: Butler Memorial Hospital, Frick Hospital, Latrobe Hospital, Westmoreland Hospital and Clarion Hospital.
WVU says they’re committed to investing $800 million directly into those hospitals, including for a new electronic medical record system, facility upgrades and expansions and reaching rural and underserved communities.
“Additional services in the neurosciences, heart and vascular, cancer and pediatrics,” Wright said.
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While the health systems say this is good for community care and will add local jobs, a Yale University study shows health care costs could rise because of less competition.
WVU says it’s committed to keeping care affordable and accessible.
“This is a great chance for this community in Westmoreland or Butler or Clarion counties to have even better state-of-the-art care than they have today,” Wright said.
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