This story has been updated with a statement from Fairfield Medical Center.
Independent Fairfield Medical Center is on track to become central Ohio health care giant OhioHealth’s 17th member hospital.
The boards of Lancaster-based Fairfield Medical Center and Columbus-based OhioHealth endorsed a merger of the two health systems in September, a spokesperson for OhioHealth said in an emailed statement.
Both parties are “proceeding towards finalization of their arrangement, which includes completing any necessary government filings,” OhioHealth’s statement said.
A spokesperson for Fairfield Medical released a statement that the two hospital boards are proceeding toward a partnership.
“Last September (2024), Fairfield Medical Center and OhioHealth entered into a non-binding letter of intent to explore a potential partnership aimed at enhancing the delivery of care in Fairfield County andsurrounding communities. Following a collaborative and thorough due diligence process, both boards have endorsed the affiliation and will initiate the appropriate next steps, including required regulatory filings,” the statement said.
Whispers of a merger first popped up in September 2024, when the two health systems signed a “non-binding letter of intent” to see if a potential partnership would benefit them.
In an email obtained by The Dispatch in September 2024, John R. Janoso, Jr., CEO and president of Fairfield Medical Center, told the medical center’s employees that while the hospital system has been successful in “righting the ship” in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve recognized a “growing and near immediate need” to expand their future operations to meet the needs of both a growing and an aging population.
The merger would be just one of many recent expansions for OhioHealth. The hospital system welcomed Morrow County Hospital as its 16th member hospital in January. In the Columbus-area, the system worked to expand Grant Medical Center, Downtown, as well as Dublin Methodist Hospital.
Its most anticipated project is Riverside Methodist Hospital Women’s Center, which is scheduled to open in 2027.
Business and consumer issues reporter Samantha Hendrickson can be reached at shendrickson@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OhioHealth finalizing plans to acquire Fairfield Medical Center
Reporting by Samantha Hendrickson, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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