Updated: NE Heart Institute and Catholic Health Initiatives teaming up

The Nebraska Heart Institute and Nebraska Heart Hospital has entered into negotiations to become a part of the Catholic Health Initiatives system in Nebraska.

Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health organization that operates 73 hospitals, including St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln.

The Nebraska Heart Institute and Nebraska Heart Hospital have signed a letter of intent to merge with the Catholic Health Initiatives in Nebraska.

Officials from both say it's all about proving to patients they've got heart.  Charlotte Liggett if the Vice President for Strategic Planning at Catholic Health Initiatives.  She says, “with health care reform, hospitals and physicians must work much more closely together than we have in the past.  Patients ought not to be in fragmented care systems.  We want to be very integrated and operate very closely with all services we provide patients.”

Catholic Health Initiatives is the parent organization of St. Elizabeth's in Lincoln and several other hospitals across the state.

Liggett says the purchase of Nebraska Heart won't just benefit their patients.  “We believe it does give more options to patients both in terms of the physicians that they might want to be involved in their care as well as where they'll receive that care, whether it's at St. Elizabeth's or Nebraska Heart Hospital.”

The agreement comes after several years of discussion and a 30 year partnership between the organizations.   It's set be enacted in July.  Liggett says the transition will be so seamless, no one will even know.  “The patients will continue to be seen at all the locations that we currently see patients seeing the same physicians because there will be no changes there with the same clinical support staff.”

The entities made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.  The announcement states Nebraska Heart Institute and Nebraska Heart Hospital have signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) to enter into negotiations to become part of the Catholic Health Initiatives system in Nebraska. The LOI outlines a 90-day exclusive negotiating process leading to a definitive agreement, with an expected closing date of July 1, 2011.

This follows several years of discussions and a 30-year partnership between the organizations. Nebraska Heart Hospital would become part of the hospital network, and the physicians who are currently part of Nebraska Heart Institute would become part of The Physician Network.

Tom Burnell, CEO of Nebraska Heart, said, “While the ownership of Nebraska Heart may change, we will continue to provide the same high level of quality cardiac and vascular services across the state, now with a greater geographic presence and with the same physicians and clinical staff.  We feel CHI is a good fit for Nebraska Heart because we share a common philosophy in the way we provide outstanding health care to patients.”  Tom Burnell will remain the CEO of Nebraska Heart with the culmination of this agreement.

Bob Lanik, CEO for Catholic Health Initiatives in Nebraska, said, “Nebraska Heart has been our partner for many years in caring for cardiac patients. They are in the top five percent nationally for overall quality of cardiac care. Adding them to our system will allow us to expand access to care and services for people in the regions we serve.”

Burnell said Nebraska Heart has no plans to change the services that are available to patients during the negotiation process or after the transaction is completed. Nebraska Heart's current operations will continue and expand in keeping with patient needs.

Nebraska Heart physicians and clinical staff will continue to provide the same quality of care and service that their patients have come to expect.  Nebraska Heart has a well-established presence in Lincoln, Hastings, Grand Island, North Platte, and Columbus.  In addition their 29 physicians serve patients in over 40 rural communities in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas.

Combined, the organizations of Nebraska Heart and Catholic Health Initiatives in Nebraska will include a network of nearly 200 physicians throughout the state of Nebraska to provide care for patients at five hospitals and through a homecare organization.

Nebraska Heart Institute (“NHI”), founded in 1987 is a physician practice group specializing in cardiac, vascular and thoracic care services.  The group practice includes 3 anesthesiologists, 5 surgeons, and 21 interventional and non-interventional cardiologists.  A comprehensive suite of services provided by the physician and clinic staff include consultative cardiology, nuclear cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiac catheterization, coronary intervention, cardiothoracic and peripheral vascular surgery.  On an annual basis NHI physicians perform more than 700 open-heart procedures, more than 1,500 interventions, and more than 4,000 cardiac catheterizations.

Nebraska Heart Hospital (“NHH”), founded in 2003, is Nebraska's first and only heart-exclusive hospital.  The 63-bed, state-of-the-art facility residing on a 20-acre campus, provides patients and families throughout the region with leading-edge services delivered in a caring environment. NHH includes three operating suites, three cardiac catheterization labs and peripheral vascular and electrophysiology labs with comprehensive imaging services. The 29 physicians and more than 500 support staff work together in providing cardiac, vascular and thoracic care and will continue to influence and shape the future of health care through innovation, creativity and research.

More information on NHI and NHH can be found at www.neheart.com.

Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Denver. The faith-based system operates in 19 states and includes 73 hospitals; 40 long-term care, assisted- and residential-living facilities; two community health-services organizations; and home health agencies. In fiscal year 2010, CHI provided almost $590 million in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. With annual revenues of approximately $9 billion, CHI is the nation's third-largest Catholic health care system.

In Nebraska, Catholic Health Initiatives organizations in Nebraska include Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, Saint Francis Medical Center in Grand Island, St. Mary's Community Hospital in Nebraska City, HealthConnect at Home and the The Physician Network.  Through its hospital facilities and The Physician Network, Catholic Health Initiatives in Nebraska provides full-service inpatient, outpatient, and behavioral health care along with primary care and specialty physician services.