Cooper University Health Care and Cape Regional Health System have signed a Letter of Intent to merge. When complete, the partnership will expand access to specialty health services to residents and visitors of Cape May County.
“For more than 135 years, Cooper has continued to expand its reach to provide advanced healthcare to the people of South Jersey,” said George E. Norcross, III, chairman of Cooper University Health Care’s board of trustees. “This merger of two trusted healthcare organizations will benefit tens of thousands of residents and visitors to Cape May County and strengthen the overall healthcare system in South Jersey.”
Garry Gilbert, chairman, Cape Regional Health System board of trustees, stated, “As it becomes more and more challenging for smaller health systems to operate independently, merging with Cooper made the most sense as we share the same commitment to the communities we serve and to providing the highest quality care to our patients.”
“Cape Regional and Cooper have had a strong working relationship for many years as Cooper has staffed our Intensive Care Unit with fellowship-trained Intensivist physicians as well as provided tele-ICU, tele-stroke, and tele-neurology services that have truly enhanced the quality of care for our community,” said Joanne Carrocino, president & CEO of Cape Regional Health System.
Cooper, with its MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, is based in the City of Camden and is southern New Jersey’s only academic health system and Level I trauma center with $2 billion in revenue. Cape Regional Health System has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission and is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the residents throughout Cape May County.
“Cooper is incredibly honored to be given an opportunity to partner with the nearly 1,500 Cape Regional team members who have built a distinguished health system of high-quality clinical outcomes and commitment to their community,” said Kevin O’Dowd, co-CEO of Cooper. “We look forward to working with our future colleagues at Cape Regional to build upon this tremendous legacy of service to residents of the Cape May region.”
The combined health system will have:
“By expanding our current working relationship with the Cape Regional team, we will be able to bring additional advanced cancer and specialty health care services to local residents close to where they live,” said Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli, co-CEO of Cooper.
The signing of the Letter of Intent is the first step in a lengthy process. Cooper and Cape Regional will be working toward signing a Definitive Agreement in March 2023. Thereafter, the health systems will seek regulatory approval for the merger, which could take until the first quarter of 2024.
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