Advocate, Aurora health systems to merge

Two Midwestern nonprofit health systems are coming together to create what they say will be the 10th largest nonprofit integrated healthcare system in the country. Chicago-based Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care, which is based in Milwaukee, Wis. And is the parent company of Aurora Pharmacy, announced their plans to merge earlier this week. The combined company will be called Advocate Aurora Health, and serve nearly 3 million patients, the companies said.

“This merger is about transforming care delivery and reimagining the possibilities of health as bigger meets better and size meets value to benefit consumers,” Advocate president and CEO Jim Skogsbergh said. “By joining forces, we will be able to expand our network to scale innovation and create a destination in the Midwest for patients and the talented clinicians who care for them.”

The merger, which has been approved by the companies’ boards of directors, will see the combined company operating 27 hospitals, more than 500 sites of care, roughly 3,300 physicians and nearly 70,000 associates and care givers, the companies said.

“For the communities in Illinois and Wisconsin that we serve and for our two organizations, this is an unprecedented opportunity to shape our future and better serve patients,” Aurora president and CEO Nick Turkal said. “We are fortunate that our organizations are coming together from unique and complementary positions of strength, particularly at a time of evolving industry dynamics. Working together, we will deliver on the promise of value for the people who receive, provide and pay for health care.”

As part of the plan, the combined company’s board of directors will be equally made up of Aurora and Advocate board members with Skogsbergh and Turkal as co-CEOs.