Provena Health And Sisters Of St. Francis Health Services Announce Integration Of Laboratory Service

MOKENA, Ill., and MISHAWAKA, Ind., Dec. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Provena Health (Ill.) and Sisters of St. Francis Health Services (Ind.) plan to integrate their laboratory services, it was announced today by their respective boards of directors. The plan is subject to final approval of the new organizational structure and bylaws.

Combined, the new laboratory will unite approximately 1,300 employees at 22 laboratory facilities throughout Northern and Central Illinois and Indiana, making it one of the area's largest providers of hospital laboratory services. Once operations are fully integrated, the new laboratory will serve 18 hospitals and dozens of clinics and health service centers. Currently, the laboratories process more than 10 million tests annually.

"This integration of services will prove beneficial to our clients, employees and service partners," said William T. Foley, president and CEO, Provena Health. "The economies of scale will allow this lab to provide patients with expanded local access to more advanced testing capabilities.

"We can efficiently acquire the most advanced diagnostic technologies and will add more than 80 new testing capabilities, including molecular and DNA diagnostic testing. This means patients will receive their results much more quickly, as we will no longer have to ship these tests out of our region."

Laboratory employees were notified yesterday and system leaders expect the integration of the two laboratory operations to be completed in July 2005. A name for the new operation has not yet been approved.

"Our organization sees this as an outstanding opportunity for practical growth," said Kevin Leahy, president and CEO, SSFHS. "Provena Health and SSFHS are both sponsored by Catholic health ministries and are equally dedicated to the care of our patients, the advancement of our laboratory services and the development of our employees. This integration will enable our labs to reach top-tier goals, cost-effectively."

Provena Health and SSFHS are Catholic health systems that include 18 hospitals between them, as well as numerous long-term care and senior residential facilities, clinics, home health agencies and other health-related services operating in Central and Northern Illinois and Indiana.

Provena Health; Sisters of St. Francis Health Services

CONTACT: Clinton Giese of Provena Health, +1-708-478-6356,ClintonCGiese@ProvenaHealth.com

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