Washington Health System, UPMC Plan Mega-Merger

Washington Health System is in talks of merging with UPMC.

The boards of directors for both health systems signed a non-binding letter of intent to negotiate an affiliation agreement that would involve integrating WHC into UPMC. Following a meeting on June 1, WHC’s board of directors unanimously voted to pursue affiliation discussions with UPMC.

In late 2020, WHS reported that the board had issued a request for proposals to seek affiliation with a larger healthcare provider.

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“Our primary focus is to ensure the residents of Washington and Greene Counties have local access to high-quality health care that is sustainable into the future,” said Brook Ward, president and CEO of WHS in a press release. “After careful consideration and analysis, we believe the best path forward is to affiliate with UPMC to achieve that goal.”

The two health systems will engage in ongoing discussions to reach a final agreement within the coming months.