News & Media

July, 2009

HOSPITALS RECEIVE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S APPROVAL OF AFFILIATION PLAN

Officials of St. Joseph Health Services of RI and Roger Williams Medical Center today received approval of their affiliation application from the Rhode Island Department of Health. The approval includes conditions that CharterCARE Health Partners (the proposed health system to be created under the affiliation) would need to meet.

"From the beginning, the leadership of St. Joseph's and Roger Williams have stressed that this affiliation is about ensuring community access to care," said Kenneth H. Belcher, President and CEO of Roger Williams Medical Center. "It is that principle that has guided us since the beginning of the affiliation process and that will also carry us forward."

"We thank Dr. Gifford and the Department of Health for their thorough and thoughtful review of our application," said John M. Fogarty, President and CEO of St. Joseph Health Services of RI. "We are now in the process of reviewing the conditions and we look forward to finalizing this step of the approval process."

Under the Hospital Conversion Act, the office of Rhode Island Attorney General must also review and approve the application. This review process is currently underway.

When the application receives approval from the Attorney General's office, governance control of St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island and Roger Williams Medical Center (in addition to the Medical Center's affiliate Elmhurst Extended Care) will be transferred to CharterCARE Health Partners. CharterCARE's proposed corporate organization and governance structure will also be approved at that time.

When approved, CharterCARE Health Partners will operate a total of 579 licensed hospital beds, employ approximately 3200 health professionals and have annual operating revenues of approximately $330 million.