Fargo, ND – Fargo's Meritcare hospital has reached an agreement with Clarent Healthcare Corporation to purchase the assets of Heartland Health System.
Meritcare President Roger Gilbertson says this is not a merger.
"We anticipate that closure or finality of this acquisition will occur January 31st of 2002 and Meritcare will open operations at the facility on the next day."
Gilbertson says it's dependent upon state and federal regulatory issues and some final negotiations.
The purchase includes the Heartland campus on South University Drive, the Island Park-St. John's Campus facility, the West Fargo clinic on 13th Avenue, and 50 percent ownership shared with Heartland Health System and the
F-M ambulance, Incinerators Incorporated, and Thome Linen.
Gilbertson says they will be consolidating certain services at each campus.
"We have established at this point that we'll be consolidating rehabilitation services and associated therapies at the Heartland campus--adult pshychiatry, transitional care units, same-day surgery. That's out-patient surgical procedures and we'll be closing our out-patient surgery center that we have across the street on this campus (4th St.North) and that'll transition down to the operating room complex at Heartland in addition to elective orthopedic procedures."
Gilbertson says they purchase price is roughly 33 million dollars. He says in the future--they will be investing in providing a higher level of service like cutting edge technology in heart services, the Roger Maris Clinic,
neuroscience, and the Children's Hospital.