Dive Brief:
- Philhaven and WellSpan, both non-profits located in south central Pennsylvania, announced this week that they have approved an affiliation agreement for which they are now seeking government approval. The two had announced the start of discussions last fall.
- WellSpan is a health system that includes four hospitals and 93 patient care locations, while Philhaven describes itself as the 14th largest provider of mental and behavioral healthcare in the U.S., and agency of the Lancaster Conference of the Mennonite Church.
- Under the agreement, WellSpan would take control of Philhaven and provide $7.26 million for the conference to create a foundation focused on improving mental healthcare delivery in a way that is consistent with the conference's values.
Dive Insight:
The potential partnership seeks to fill the gap in coordination between mental and medical healthcare. The organizations say they are seeking the alliance as a result of a decreasing supply of mental healthcare, and a mutual goal of ensuring that people get both forms of care.
"Through this affiliation, both organizations are committed to developing a behavioral health organization with diverse levels of care, support for all patients, innovative practices and strong outcomes," said a joint release. "They are also committed to the development of local education and training programs to attract future behavioral health providers to the region."