Atrium Health and Navicent Health Announce Plans to Form Strategic Combination

CHARLOTTE, N.C., and MACON, G.A., Feb. 8, 2018 – Atrium Health, previously Carolinas HealthCare System, and Navicent Health today jointly announced they have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to enter into a strategic combination to enhance access, affordability and equity of care for individuals and families in central and south Georgia. 

 By bringing together Atrium Health, with its proven track record for devoting resources and expertise necessary to deliver unparalleled value to patients and affiliates alike, and Navicent Health, a leading Georgia healthcare system that is committed to elevating health and well-being for its patients and communities, they will address access and affordability while co-creating the future of health for central and south Georgia.

Navicent Health will become a part of Atrium Health, benefitting the central and south Georgia area. This strategic combination will allow Navicent Health to become the leader of a regional hub for Atrium Health outside the Carolinas and will enhance Macon-Bibb County’s position as one of Georgia’s leading centers for healthcare, keeping the physician community strong, and enabling patients to access complex medical services locally.

“We’re focused on creating a personalized care experience for each and every patient and community we serve,” said Gene Woods, president and CEO of newly named Atrium Health. “Whether it’s improving health for those living in urban and rural areas through access to the newest virtual care technology, elevating hope for the parent of a sick child through an innovative cancer treatment, or advancing healing for a patient in our emergency department through integrated behavioral health services – the privilege to care for existing and new communities throughout central and south Georgia is another way to breathe life into our mission to care for all.”

Atrium Health and Navicent Health have each separately made clinical, operational, and technological investments in population and community health, and together will build upon these significant investments to become a leading model for managing the health of individuals and communities throughout central and south Georgia. Through this exchange of knowledge and deployment of resources and capabilities, patients and local communities will have access to enhanced levels of world-class care in areas like cancer, cardiology, pediatrics, surgery, transplant and behavioral health, complementing the existing levels of strong clinical care today. Together, Atrium Health and Navicent Health can address the significant and disproportionate health disparities that face central and south Georgia residents by deploying innovative care delivery models. 

“Navicent Health has a shared mission with Atrium Health to continuously improve healthcare in this region,” said Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, FACHE, president and CEO of Navicent Health. “This is the first major partnership of its type in the Southeast region and ensures a Macon-based institution will continue to be the leading driver of healthcare in central Georgia and beyond, while continuing to elevate the care that is provided locally. This will also give us access to Atrium Health’s wide array of award-winning, proven successes and best practices in healthcare delivery that we can deploy in our service areas. Our ability to provide high level services to improve the health of communities is only possible with support from our community, physicians, employees and partners. We are excited to find a partner that shares in our vision for the future of health.”

Together, Atrium Health and Navicent Health will strengthen central and south Georgia’s healthcare options for the 750,000 residents in this area – from world-class clinical services across multiple sites of care, to managing the health of communities and promoting health coverage and capabilities, to greater access and affordability for their current and future patients, and to enhancing current and future care delivery with technology and innovation.

The signing of this Letter of Intent will allow for more detailed discussions to take place as Atrium Health and Navicent Health will now enter into a time of thoughtful negotiation and due diligence. 

About Atrium Health

Atrium Health, previously Carolinas HealthCare System, one of the nation’s leading and most innovative healthcare organizations, provides a full spectrum of healthcare and wellness programs throughout the Southeast region. Its diverse network of care locations includes academic medical centers, hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, physician practices, surgical and rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, nursing homes and behavioral health centers, as well as hospice and palliative care services. Atrium Health works to enhance the overall health and wellbeing of its communities through high quality patient care, education and research programs, and numerous collaborative partnerships and initiatives.

About Navicent Health

Navicent Health was incorporated on November 17, 1994, as a nonprofit corporation whose primary purpose is to coordinate The Medical Center, Navicent Health and other affiliated entities in their mission of providing a comprehensive continuum of high quality, reasonably priced healthcare services to the region. Navicent Health has 970 beds for medical, surgical, rehabilitation and hospice purposes. The health system includes The Medical Center, Navicent Health, a nationally recognized tertiary teaching hospital; Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health, the region’s only dedicated pediatric hospital; Navicent Health Baldwin and Medical Center of Peach County, Navicent Health, both rural hospitals; Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health, the region’s oldest and most experienced rehabilitation provider; Pine Pointe, Navicent Health, which provides palliative and hospice care in homes and in its facility; Carlyle Place, Navicent Health, the area’s first continuing care retirement community; Navicent Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Navicent Health; as well as diagnostic and home care services. For more information, please visit www.navicenthealth.org.