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Altoona hospital intends to negotiate affiliation with UPMC
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Directors from a Central Pa. health system and its parent company have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to negotiate an affiliation with UPMC, according to a news release.
Altoona Regional Health System, under parent company Central Pennsylvania Health Services Corporation, and UPMC have agreed to conditions of a prospective affiliation and will enter a due diligence period, Altoona Regional spokesman Dave Cuzzolina said.
The final step would be the signing of a definitive affiliation agreement, he said.
For more than a year, Altoona Regional Health System's board of directors have considered affiliating with a larger system to "offer opportunities to expand and enhance" care, "while addressing the significant challenges and financial pressures in health care," Mr. Cuzzolina said.
In November, Altoona announced its decision to pursue an affiliation with UPMC; the letter is the result of "comprehensive" talks since then, he said.
"UPMC shares our commitment to superior quality patient care and our vision for the future," Altoona Regional board chairman Rob Halbritter said. "An affiliation with UPMC will be extremely positive for Altoona Regional, our patients, and the entire region."
First Published February 25, 2013 9:07 pm
