The region’s two major health systems are proceeding with a planned merger and released documents Tuesday outlining the process and the transition management team.
Officials of Mountain States Heath Alliance and Wellmont Health System released two internal memos and the first installments of policies designed to govern those steps. The merged system — renamed Ballad Health — is to include 21 hospitals, 14,000 employees and all of the treatment and diagnostic centers owned by the former competitors.
The transaction is expected to close in early 2018, according to a memo signed by Mountain States CEO Alan Levine and Wellmont CEO Bart Hove.
“The first step for entering the transition period is the naming of a transition team. This team will be focused on immediate priorities for closing and for establishing processes for post-closing integration. To be clear, the transition team has been authorized by us to make requests for information and to assign responsibilities to individuals within both Wellmont and Mountain States,” according to the first transition memo.
