Mercy Health and Bon Secours Announce Merger

The Maryland and Ohio health systems announced Wednesday their intention to merge. The joint venture would be the nation’s fifth-largest Catholic health system.

Bon Secours Health System and Mercy Health announced their intention Wednesday to merge, potentially forming the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country.

The proposed merger would join Mercy, the largest health system in Ohio, with Bon Secours, a Maryland-based Catholic health system with locations throughout the East Coast.

If approved, the new system would operate 43 hospitals and more than 1,000 care sites across seven states, while generating close to $9 billion in annual operating revenues. Additionally, the new system would employ more than 2,100 physicians and advanced practice clinicians.

“Our decision to join forces with Bon Secours is rooted in our shared and very deep commitment to delivering compassionate, low-cost, high-quality health care to our communities,” said John M. Starcher Jr., president and CEO of Mercy Health, in a statement. “Working together, our strong faith-based heritage fuels our mutual focus to provide efficient and effective health care for each patient who comes through our doors.”

The proposed merger will need to gain approval from state and federal regulators as well as the Catholic Church, which oversees both systems. Leaders from Mercy and Bon Secours expect the deal to be completed by the end of the year.

“The mission, vision, values and geographic service areas of Bon Secours and Mercy Health are remarkably well-aligned and highly complementary,” said Richard J. Statuto, president and CEO of Bon Secours, in a statement. “This merger strengthens our shared commitment to improve population health, eliminate health disparities, build strength to address social determinants of health, and invest heavily in innovating our approaches to health care.”

Jack O'Brien is the Content Team Lead and Finance Editor at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.