Delnor Could Grow Under Proposed Merger

The proposed merger between Delnor Hospital and Central DuPage Hospital could bring Geneva and St. Charles residents new medical facilities and local access to Chicago medical research centers, spokespeople for both hospitals announced today.

"The overall goal is the expansion of services at both the Delnor Hospital and Central DuPage Hospital campuses, with continued investment in state-of-the-art facilities, technology and clinical capabilities to meet the growing healthcare needs of the communities served," said Delnor spokesman Brian Griffin.  "Patients would benefit by having access to a greater depth and breadth of care, expanded local access to services, and enhanced clinical quality."

Officials at the two hospitals this week announced they will pursue a merger in order to provide more health care options to residents in west DuPage and east Kane counties. They must get approval from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, as well as the Federal Trade Commission, to finalize the deal.

Though Central DuPage Hospital is about twice as big as Delnor, officials emphasized that CDH is not taking Delnor over and that neither facility is in financial trouble.

"Members of (Delnor's) health systems board are trying to be proactive," commented Craig Collins, vice chairman of the Delnor Foundation board of directors. "Though it's still too early to tell, I think the merger makes sense. The health reform legislation that Congress is enacting is going to put pressure on hospitals to consolidate in order to cut costs and operate more efficiently. These (Delnor officials) are good people looking out for what's best for this area."

While details of the merger will take several months to work out, both hospitals will operate as separate entities under an umbrella health care system that has not yet been named, said CDH spokeswoman Amy Jo Steinbruecker. CDH President Luke McGuinness will continue to lead that hospital and serve as CEO of the new organization, while Delnor President and CEO Tom Wright will remain at Delnor's helm and hold an executive position in the new organization. Each hospital's fund-raising foundation and auxiliary will remain separate.

The merger would add Delnor to CDH's ongoing partnerships with Loyola Medical Center, Children's Memorial Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic, Griffin confirmed. Presently, those facilities maintain and staff clinics at CDH so that west suburban residents can get cutting-edge treatment for serious diseases without having to drive to downtown Chicago—or fly to Cleveland. Officials have not yet decided if Delnor will host clinics run by CDH's partner hospitals, Steinbruecker added.

Another benefit for Tri-Cities residents is that Delnor patients who need specialized treatment at CDH won't need to have their medical records transferred, Steinbruecker said.

"Should patients need to have care at one campus or the other there will be seamless sharing of information through planned investments in information technology," she said. That could benefit cancer patients who seek treatment at CDH's new proton therapy clinic, the first in Illinois.

Most details of the merger and its impact on regional health care services have not been worked out, Collins said.

"This is barely the first minute in a long process. A lot of things will be decided in the next few months," he said.