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Methodist Hospital Focuses on Short-Term Acute Care; St. Agnes Becomes Continuing Care Center

PHILADELPHIA – June 15, 2004 – Today marks the start of a transformation aimed at redefining health care delivery in South Philadelphia as Methodist Hospital completes its acquisition of the short-term acute care operations of St. Agnes Medical Center. Starting today, Methodist will assume responsibility for managing and operating short-term acute care services at the St. Agnes campus by temporarily establishing "Methodist Hospital at St. Agnes." St. Agnes Medical Center will be renamed the St. Agnes Continuing Care Center, and will be uniquely positioned to offer faith-based care for patients who require longer term acute care services.

For now, the South Philadelphia community will continue to have access to short-term acute care services at both locations: Methodist Hospital's main campus at 2301 South Broad Street, and temporarily at the St. Agnes Continuing Care Center campus, 1900 South Broad Street.

"At ‘Methodist Hospital at St. Agnes,' patients will see their same doctors as well as many of the same nurses and support personnel who had been on staff with St. Agnes Medical Center," said James Robinson, chief administrative officer, Methodist Hospital. "Patients will have access to quality care at both locations, including both emergency rooms." "Methodist Hospital at St. Agnes" will operate for up to six months while major renovations are being made at Methodist’s main campus to accommodate the expanded services there.

"As we implement our shared vision for transforming health care delivery in South Philadelphia, our commitment to the community will not waver. We are working hard to complete our renovations at Methodist Hospital as quickly as possible," said Robinson. "Until then, everyone in the community will have access to the dedicated, caring staff at both locations for their emergency room, inpatient and outpatient needs. When we are ready to combine our operations at Methodist's main campus, we will give the public plenty of notice."

"Simultaneously, St. Agnes will transition its mission to address an unmet need for long-term care services and continue its 116-year commitment to serving South Philadelphia as St. Agnes Continuing Care Center," said Dr. James Flowers, president and chief executive officer, St. Agnes Continuing Care Center. “The St. Agnes Continuing Care Center represents a new vision for providing quality, continuing care services and patient experiences with special concern for the poor and disadvantaged.”

Creating the new long-term intensive care hospital at St. Agnes Continuing Care Center to serve patients who are critically ill or require acute care services for an extended period of time will support the existing services that are currently available. St. Agnes will continue to offer skilled nursing, LIFE (Living Independently for Elders), home health and Vitas hospice services.

“St. Agnes Continuing Care Center is committed to clinical excellence and providing compassionate care, with a unique spiritual orientation, for patients and their families during their time of crisis," said Gavin Kerr, chief executive officer, Mercy Health System.

“We are excited about the potential of the new St. Agnes Continuing Care Center to provide high quality continuing care services to patients who require complex health services for longer periods of time. Whether in our long-term intensive care hospital, our skilled nursing facility or through our hospice, we will be here to give them extraordinary health care experiences,” said Kerr.

“By creatively redefining the missions and responsibilities of Methodist and St. Agnes, both hospitals will continue to provide compassionate quality care while concentrating their resources, expanding services, modernizing their physical plants and adapting to the community’s changing needs. We see this as a real win-win for everyone,” said Tom Lewis, chief executive officer, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals.

Both Kerr and Lewis underscored the fact that from a patient’s perspective things will remain much the same for the next several months. Patients are encouraged to use either Methodist Hospital or "Methodist Hospital at St. Agnes" for their short-term acute care needs. Both emergency rooms will continue in operation, and doctors in the community will still be able to refer patients for care at both locations much as they have in the past.

For information about the progress of the transformation of St. Agnes Continuing Care Center, see www.stagnesccc.org. For information about the progress of the renovations at Methodist Hospital, see www.jeffersonhospital.org/methodist/.