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FAXTON ST. LUKE'S HEALTHCARE AND ST. ELIZABETH MEDICAL CENTER FORM MOHAWK VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM Faxton St. Luke's Healthcare (FSLH) and St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC) officially announced their affiliation as the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS). In December 2013, the Public Health and Health Planning Council of New York State approved their affiliation proposal, and the hospitals reached an agreement with the New York State Attorney General's Office. As of midnight on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) waiting period expired with no action by the FTC — allowing the transaction to proceed as planned once final state approval is received. The hospitals have received notification from the New York State Department of Health to move forward with the affiliation. "This is an important and historic moment for our community," notes the Honorable Norman Siegel, former chairman of the board for SEMC and Chairman of the Board for the new MVHS. "I am pleased that our two hos- pitals will be working together as one organization. It's a tremendous testament to the vision of our Boards of Directors, hospital leadership and our medical staffs. Throughout this process, we have received such positive support from the community and recognition that we can do so much more for the families of the Mohawk Valley by working together." Medical Briefs MVHS is the parent organization. It will be governed by a new Board of Directors composed of 18 members, with equal members from the FSLH Board and the SEMC Board. Scott H. Perra, FACHE, is President/CEO of MVHS and will oversee the management team for the system. "This has been nearly a three-year process that has, at times, been very complex," Perra states. "I want to thank our boards, employees, medical staffs, volunteers and the community for their patience, understanding and incred- ible support. I also want to thank the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities and the Syracuse Diocese for their support, as they have been instrumental in our success. And I also want to thank our government officials — local, state and federal. They understood our vision and were a tremendous resource to us as we went through this process." Consolidation and joint partnerships are not new for the organizations. Faxton Hospita l a nd St. Luke's–Memoria l consolidated their services in 2000. Both SEMC and FSLH jointly sponsor the Mohawk Valley Heart Institute and have a collaborative agreement for the Central New York Diabetes Education Program and Palliative Care Consultation Services. " I a p p l a u d t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f Fa x ton St. Lu ke's Hea lt hca re a nd St. Elizabeth Medical Center for their proactive approach to providing the best health care for their region," says Gary Fitzgerald, President of Iroquois Healthcare. "It is a challenging time for health care throughout the country, with less reimbursement and more demands placed on hospitals. These types of collaborations, driven from within the community instead of by outside forces, are the ones that succeed. This affiliation will be significant for the communities of the Mohawk Valley." The two organizations employ more than 4,200 full-time employees and have a combined operating budget of $537 million. The MVHS Board of Directors will consist of Siegel, Cha ir; Domenic Aiello, MD; Barbara Brodock; Catherine Cominsky; Joan Compson; Gregor y Eva ns; Ma ria Gesua ldo, DO; Todd Hutton, PhD; Andrew Kowalczyk III, Esq.; Gregory McLean; Perra, President/ CEO; John Sperling, MD, Medical Staff President (FSLH); Stephen Sweet; Richard Tantillo; Symeon Tsoupelis; M a rk Wa r fel, D O, Me d ic a l St a f f President (SEMC); Bonnie Woods; Eric Yoss, MD; and Richard Zweifel. The MVHS administrative team will be composed of the following individuals and positions: Perra, President/CEO; Louis Aiello, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer; Albert D'Accurzio, MD, Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, SEMC, and Chief Qua lity Officer; 2 6 | Central New York MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M