Baptist health systems based in Memphis and Jackson announce collaboration discussions

New Albany, MS-  Baptist Memorial Health Care (Memphis, TN) and Mississippi Baptist Health Systems (Jackson, MS) consider Merging Operations. NAnewsweb.com received the following information on the afternoon of September 1, 2016, from Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis.

JACKSON, MISS., AND MEMPHIS, TENN., Sept. 1, 2016—Mississippi Baptist Health Systems, (Mississippi Baptist) based in Jackson, Miss., and Baptist Memorial Health Care (Baptist Memorial), based in Memphis, Tenn., today jointly announced that they have entered into discussions regarding possible collaborative efforts. Discussions are focused on how the organizations can work together to deliver faith-based, efficient, high-quality health care.

The discussions are currently conceptual, but may include a combination or merger in the future. If such an agreement were reached, it would create one of the largest Baptist health systems in the country. It also would include the expansion of the Epic electronic medical records system to Mississippi Baptist. Baptist Memorial has implemented this system as part of its Baptist OneCare program.

A collaboration of this kind would offer significant advantages over other health care partnerships and ventures. These two systems enjoy similar organizational cultures and a parallel external brand position. Both are known as “Baptist” in communities they serve. Each has consistently demonstrated, over 100 years, a history of providing excellent care in a Christian healing environment and an unwavering commitment to this shared vision.

Informational background on Baptist Memorial Health Systems and Mississippi Baptist Health Systems

Background

One of the largest not-for-profit health care systems in the United States, Baptist Memorial offers a full continuum of care to communities throughout the Mid-South. The Baptist Memorial system, which consistently ranks among the top integrated health care networks in the nation, comprises 17 affiliate hospitals in the Mid-South, including six in Mississippi; more than 3,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 500 physicians; home, hospice and psychiatric care; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system highlighted by the Baptist College of Health Sciences. Baptist employs more than 14,000 health care professionals, has more than 2,300 licensed beds system wide and has approximately 85,000 admissions annually.

Mississippi Baptist Health Systems is the parent company of Baptist Medical Center, Baptist Medical Center Attala, Baptist Medical Center Leake, Baptist Medical Center Yazoo and a number of related health care services and programs primarily focused on serving Central Mississippi. It has been ranked by Healthgrades in the top 2% in the nation in patient safety and experience. From its beginnings in 1911 as Jackson’s first hospital, Mississippi Baptist has continuously provided quality, compassionate, Christian-based medical care, treating patients from all 82 Mississippi counties and all 50 states. Its medical staff includes approximately 600 board-certified physicians representing more than 50 medical specialties. It employs over 3,700 healthcare professionals, manages 21,500 admissions and 194,000 clinic visits annually, and will see over 100,000 emergency department patients this year.