Jewish purchase gives Mercy options
By Cliff Peale
cpeale@enquirer.com
July 14, 2009

Spreading top-dollar oncology and joint-replacement services to the region's Mercy hospitals from their home at Jewish Hospital could be the ultimate indication that Mercy's $180 million purchase of Jewish has worked.

Mercy already can absorb many of Jewish's finance and information-technology functions at its Blue Ash offices, perhaps adding more jobs. And adding the Jewish Hospital location just off Interstate 71 in Kenwood fills out its geographic lineup that already includes hospitals in Batavia, Anderson Township, Fairfield, Mount Airy and Westwood.

But the real payoff will come if the niche programs that have defined Jewish Hospital filter to Mercy patients, said Jim May, president of Mercy Health Partners, after announcing the acquisition last week.

"We're trying to keep people in their communities to get their care," May said in an interview. "Our mission is excellent patient care and Jewish does the same thing."

Examples could be the oncology program at Jewish, the only bone-marrow transplant center in the region; the largest joint-replacement center here, and a well-established cardiac program.

"This has been more of a niche type of hospital," said Don Wayne, president of the medical staff at Jewish Hospital. "We need to spread these. There's been a drain of patients out of Cincinnati going to other cities for high-end care.

Mercy hopes to close the acquisition by the end of 2009, and Jewish Hospital still must negotiate its departure from the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, a task that won't be easy for that disappointed suitor.

But beyond all of the millions of dollars and boardroom wrangling, the impact of the deal will be to real patients in real hospital rooms, providing services that weren't provided before.

For example, Mercy's new west-side hospital on North Bend Road near Interstate 74 in Green Township, isn't scheduled to open until 2014. But plans call for a full heart-care program with the Jewish Hospital expertise only adding strength to that goal.

Financially, the acquisition won't delay the Green Township hospital, May said.