Ireland’s largest provider of private healthcare set for merger with US group

A merger between Ireland’s largest independent hospital group and a major US health provider is due to be completed by the end of the summer, the Medical Independent (MI) has learned.

In a recent staff communication, it was announced that Bon Secours Health System (BSHS) is to merge with Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) in the US.

The BSHS has 3,000 staff, 450 consultants and treats more than 280,000 patients at its hospitals in Cork, Galway, Tralee, Dublin and Limerick and care village in Cork. It is one of the largest providers of private healthcare in Ireland.

BSMH has a Catholic ethos and is one of the top 20 health systems in the US. It employs more than 57,000 staff in 43 hospitals and over 1,000 sites across seven states.

“Our discussions are ongoing and positive and if all outstanding matters are agree, we expect to complete the merger by the end of the summer,” Mr Bill Maher, Group CEO BSHS, wrote in a recent letter to staff.

“Bon Secours Mercy Health has an ambition to grow significantly in Europe out of Ireland and this merger presents a tremendous opportunity for us to expand, which will create new career and development opportunities.

“This very positive development will enable both BSHS and BSMH to bring better care to the patients and communities we serve and allow us to share best practices and expertise in our respective areas. It will allow BSHS to look at US care delivery models and position us to further deliver advanced medicine and exceptional care to patients and communities here. It will enable us to further improve facilities, infrastructure and IT and service delivery for our patients.”

The merger is likely to mean more funding for capital investments in Ireland, with the ethos of the group remaining not-for-profit.

In separate statement, BSMH confirmed a letter of intent to merge had been signed by both parties.

According to its website, “the Mission of Bon Secours Mercy Health is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of its communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved”.

An Irish clinician at BSHS said they believed the merger was overall “a positive development”.