CHESTERFIELD, Mo. – BJC Health and St. Luke’s Hospital have signed a letter of intent for the independent St. Louis-area health system to join BJC, opening exclusive discussions that still require a definitive agreement, regulatory review and further board approvals.
The organizations announced the plan Wednesday. It is not a completed merger. They expect the next phase to take several months and did not announce a transaction price or a closing date.
St. Luke’s operates a 493-bed hospital in Chesterfield and a network of 30 locations across the greater St. Louis area. BJC, headquartered in St. Louis, has 27 hospitals and nearly 50,000 employees across its two regions.
Patients’ coverage and appointments unchanged
St. Luke’s said patients can continue to see their providers and keep services and appointments as scheduled. Insurance coverage is not changing, and access to the mystlukes patient portal and bill payments continues as usual.
The hospital said rising costs, workforce pressures and the need for technology and infrastructure investment helped drive its review of potential partners. Its board and leadership chose to pursue BJC after evaluating options.
BJC said it plans to support St. Luke’s with clinical technology and equipment, facility and infrastructure upgrades, and provider recruitment and retention. The organizations said they want to connect community-based care with specialized services available through BJC and WashU Medicine.
The letter of intent allows exclusive discussions while the organizations work toward a definitive agreement. St. Luke’s said regulatory review and additional board approvals must occur before the process is complete.
The announcement concerns St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, not the similarly named Saint Luke’s network in the Kansas City area that already operates within BJC’s western region.
Details: BJC’s announcement and St. Luke’s patient information and FAQs.
JBizNews Desk | St. Louis
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