DAVENPORT, Iowa — An agreement for Genesis Health System to join another statewide health system in Iowa is complete.
As of Wednesday, March 1, Genesis facilities will become part of MercyOne, which is headquartered in central Iowa.
MercyOne is part of Trinity Health, one of the largest not-for-profit health care systems in the country with 88 hospitals across 25 states. Trinity Health is not related to any Iowa-based entities that currently use the name "Trinity" or "Trinity Health."
“We are excited to welcome Genesis to MercyOne and look forward to shaping a framework to enhance access to personalized, convenient health care across Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois,” said Bob Ritz, president and chief executive officer at MercyOne in a press release. “Together, we are stronger and will deliver the highest quality care and the best patient experience to all those we serve.”
Back in September 2022, the two health care companies announced that they'd signed a letter of intent to develop a "strategic partnership." Genesis said its board of directors unanimously chose MercyOne as its choice partner after a lengthy exploration process that began in December 2021.
“As part of MercyOne, Genesis will be able to leverage the skill, talent and scale of national and regional resources while retaining our local leadership and focus,” said Doug Cropper, the outgoing Genesis Health System president and CEO. “We will deepen our commitment to quality, safety and patient experience and strengthen our workforce retention and recruitment efforts. By joining MercyOne, Genesis will continue our ability to grow, thrive and deliver more integrated care in the region.”
Officials said in September that nothing will change for the companies' operation as a result of the LOI or during the agreement deliberation process and that patients will continue to receive the same care they currently enjoy.
In a Wednesday press conference, health care leadership said no Genesis staff will be laid off. All current employees will just move under the MercyOne umbrella.
There will be no changes to the current clinical services Genesis offers, and Genesis hopes its partnership with MercyOne will help the health system expand its services in the future.
For now, all Genesis facilities will keep their current names. Cropper said the name will be studied in the next two years to determine what it will be called moving forward. As part of Genesis' agreement with MercyOne, part of the name will include "Genesis."
One change mentioned in Genesis' release is that the Genesis Philanthropy and the Genesis Health Services Foundation will continue to serve the QC community. The foundation will remain a part of the unified health system, however, Genesis Philanthropy will operate under the new name "Better Health Foundation."
Better Health Foundation will be independent of the health system. Genesis Health System is providing it with $40 million to help ensure its future. It will be fully operational by July 1.
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