St. Joseph’s Health formally joins Trinity Health

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — St. Joseph’s Health of Syracuse on Wednesday formally joined Livonia, Michigan–based Trinity Health, which describes itself as “one of the largest multi-institutional, Catholic health-care delivery systems in the nation.”

The organizations held a ceremony outside St. Joseph’s Hospital on Syracuse’s north side to mark the occasion. All the regulatory approvals are “in place” and the transition of Catholic sponsorship is “complete,” according to a news release posted on the Trinity Health website.

St. Joseph’s Health, which is the new name for St. Joseph’s Hospital and its affiliates, transferred the nonprofit sponsorship from the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities to Trinity Health’s Catholic Health Ministries. St. Joseph’s Health employs about 5,300 people total.

The organizations signed and announced their agreement on April 28.

“Beginning today, the 150-year old mission of Catholic health care in Syracuse has been strengthened with Trinity Health and St. Joseph’s Health together committed to providing better health, better care and lower operating costs in the communities we serve,” Kathryn Ruscitto, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health, said in the news release. “It is really something to celebrate because both patients and employees will benefit as together we ensure St. Joseph’s has the clinical, operational, strategic and financial resources it needs to continue to deliver the best care possible.”

 “We are thrilled to join together today and to become part of the Syracuse community as St. Joseph’s becomes part of the people-centered health system we are building in Trinity Health,” Dr. Richard Gilfillan, president and CEO of Trinity Health, said in the release.

Trinity Health’s New York operations also include Catholic Health System in Buffalo and St. Peter’s Health Partners in Albany.

In the “immediate next steps” at St. Joseph’s Health, a transition team including leaders from both health-care organizations will identify the specific tasks and opportunities to pursue over the coming months to “integrate” the two organizations, Trinity Health said.

The effort will include ways to keep the community, physicians, employees, donors, and volunteers updated on the process.

St. Joseph’s Health will continue to manage and operate its facilities, programs, and local patient care, Trinity Health said.

Patients, physicians and employees will see “no changes” in the care that St. Joseph’s provides, it added.

The Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities will continue to provide “spiritual support” to St. Joseph’s and its employees.

St. Joseph’s generated $642 million in revenue in 2014, but it reported an operating loss of $24.5 million.

Some of the factors that led to the loss included “one time” costs related to the installation of a new electronic medical-record system and additional matters related to opening its new patient tower.

St. Joseph’s also reported a loss of more than $9.5 million in this year’s first quarter, according to consolidated financial statements it filed on the Electronic Municipal Market Access website (http://emma.msrb.org).

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com