O’Bleness Health System officially joins OhioHealth
ATHENS, Ohio—OhioHealth and O’Bleness Health System announced today that O’Bleness has become a full member of the OhioHealth system. The milestone was celebrated at O’Bleness today with a welcoming event for the hospital’s physicians, associates and volunteers.
The two health systems signed a membership agreement in November to make O’Bleness a full member of OhioHealth, pending notice to the Ohio Attorney General. When that noticed period ended on January 7, O’Bleness officially joined OhioHealth. To reflect its status as a full member of the OhioHealth family, O’Bleness Memorial Hospital’s name has been changed to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital.
The OhioHealth board approved the terms of the membership on October 15 and the Sheltering Arms Foundation Board, which is the formal name of the O’Bleness board of directors, adopted the agreement November 6.
“We’re excited to have O’Bleness as an official member of the OhioHealth family,” said Dave Blom, president and chief executive officer of OhioHealth. “Welcoming O’Bleness into our family allows us to build on all the good that we’ve done together and focus on the future to ensure that O’Bleness thrives and continues to meet the healthcare needs of southeast Ohio.”
“As the board considered the agreement, we had no doubts that OhioHealth could best help us serve this community,” said Susan Quinn, OD, chair of O’Bleness’ board of directors. “We knew that in order to sustain a local system of care we needed a strong partner, one with similar goals and a similar commitment to serving our area.”
As a “full member,” OhioHealth has become the parent organization of O’Bleness Health System, which gives O’Bleness access to the full complement of clinical expertise, financial resources and logistical support that a large healthcare system can provide. O’Bleness is OhioHealth’s ninth full-member hospital. Prior to becoming a full member of OhioHealth, O’Bleness and OhioHealth worked together through a three-year management agreement during which time OhioHealth had six leadership positions on the management team at O’Bleness, three of which were on the senior leadership team, as well as representation on the O’Bleness board of directors.
OhioHealth has strong ties to communities in southeast Ohio that complement its relationship with O’Bleness. This includes a long standing partnership with Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, which OhioHealth has partnered with to train generations of medical students, interns and residents during the last 35 years. OhioHealth is also the official healthcare provider for Ohio University Athletics and operates OhioHealth Doctors Hospital Nelsonville north of Athens.
About OhioHealth
OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization with Methodist roots. Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is currently recognized as one of the top five large health systems in America by Truven Health Analytics. It is also recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” and has been for seven years in a row, 2007-2013.
Serving its communities since 1891, it is a family of 22,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 17 hospitals, 25+ health and surgery centers, a hospice, home-health, medical equipment and other health services spanning a 40-county area. OhioHealth member hospitals include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital-Columbus, OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital-Nelsonville, OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital and OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital.
