HARRISBURG (Nov. 10, 2015) – As Pennsylvania’s legislative delegation representing constituents throughout Lawrence County, it has been the responsibility and priority of Senator Elder Vogel, Rep. Chris Sainato, Rep. Jaret Gibbons and Rep. Parke Wentling to stay attuned to matters surrounding the proposed merger between Jameson Health System and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).
“Our priority is the health of our friends and family who have come to rely on Jameson Hospital. The proposed merger with UPMC not only expands access to life-saving healthcare services, but it also ensures the long-term viability of an acute care hospital in the community,” said Senator Vogel. “Simply put, it’s the best option available for Jameson’s patients and employees.”
On September 16, 2014, Jameson Health System and UPMC announced their intent to merge. In February 2015, the Public Protection Division of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office (OAG), expressed concerns about antitrust issues and the lack of marketplace competition in the wake of the merger. The OAG said its concerns were based on its responsibility to ensure that citizens of Lawrence County have continued access to affordable health care.
Jameson issued requests for proposals to a wide range of potential partners in August 2015 as required by the Pennsylvania Attorney General. Jameson and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office agreed on minimal acceptable standards for the bids. Jameson’s Board of Directors said the three proposals received through this stage of the re-bid do not currently appear to meet these standards or adequately provide Lawrence County with the services and support it needs.
Jameson’s advisory team has reached out to all the bidders to determine if there is a willingness to work through the issues in the proposals to seek a solution that will position Jameson for long-term success,” according to Representative Sainato. “The CEO and President of Jameson, Doug Danko, has informed us that UPMC agreed months ago to address the competitive concerns of the OAG by agreeing to certain terms relating to payors, contracts, and hospital/physician access that appear in other OAG – hospital consent decrees. These terms make it even more certain that the UPMC agreement would preserve consumers’ rights to continue to receive affordable and accessible high-quality health care in Lawrence County and at the same time ensure that healthy competition remains.”
The Lawrence County legislative delegation collectively shares the strong interest of both the OAG and Jameson’s community-led Board of Directors in protecting local residents’ long-term continued access to affordable health care.
“Our appeal to the Attorney General’s Office is to continue to respect the Jameson Board of Directors’ fiduciary responsibility and authority by empowering them to come to agreeable terms with the partner that best upholds the highest interests for the long-term health of Lawrence County,” said Representative Gibbons.
The delegation supports the Jameson Health System’s Board of Directors’ commitment to selecting the best qualified partner that will invest significant capital, address and service all debt, focus on physician recruitment, and make certain Jameson is in the best position to serve the community into the future.
“The criteria set forth to qualify and measure an acceptable bid is objective and clearly aims to uphold the highest interests of consumers,” said Representative Wentling. “We stand by the Jameson Board in upholding those criteria to objectively make the right decision for the future of health care delivered in Lawrence County. As the Attorney General’s Office has shared, they are confident in a soon-to-come resolution, and so are we.”
Contact:
Cheryl Schriner
(717) 787-3076
cschriner@pasen.gov