Montefiore and St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital announce partnership

NEWBURGH — St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital announced this week that it will join Montefiore Health System.

St. Luke’s will enter into a passive parent relationship, with Montefiore as the parent organization. Pending regulatory approval, the partnership would strengthen delivery of health care locally and enhance access to exceptional specialty care for Hudson Valley residents.

Our partnership with St. Luke’s will improve the health of the people in the Hudson Valley region,” Steven M. Safyer, M.D., President and CEO of Montefiore Health System, said in the press release announcing the partnership. “St. Luke’s has a strong leadership team in place that is aligned with Montefiore in our fundamental values and approach to providing the highest quality of care. The partnership brings the best of academic medicine and will strengthen the coordination of care. This represents the new benchmark for healthcare delivery.”

SLCH embarked on the search for a strategic partner in early 2014, one that would look to enhance the services already provided, and to prepare the organization for the anticipated changes in health care delivery.

Joan Cusack-McGuirk, the interim president and CEO of St. Luke's, said “Montefiore shares our vision of community health care. We are confident that by becoming part of Montefiore Health System, we will be able to serve our community in a more effective and efficient manner, producing better health outcomes for the 250,000 patients we treat every year.”

The SLCH Board of Trustees will remain intact, comprised of its existing community leaders. Joining the Board will be three members-at-large from MHS.

The partnership has been approved by the Boards of both MHS and SLCH and is pending regulatory review and approval by the Federal Trade Commission.