News Analysis: What Delnor and CDH Merger Means to Patients Here

As of April, Delnor Hospital and Central DuPage Hospital officially coalesced into one healthcare system.

An official “intent to combine” was filed in October of 2010, and deliberations have been ongoing since then. Why did they do it?

For hospitals to remain profitable, they often must consolidate into larger groups to stay alive. Delnor is trying to expand its quality care and services, and so is CDH.

Amy Steinbruecker, the media relations coordinator at Central DuPage Hospital said that CDH and Delnor “share a vision to build a locally based health system bringing exceptional, affordable healthcare to a patient population of more than one million people in Chicago’s western suburbs and beyond.”

These two hospitals “believe that integration and collaboration of two financially sound and compatible partners will elevate the caliber and breadth of patient-focused, compassionate care and services,” Steinbruecker said.

What This Merger Aims To Do

• Provide increasingly high-quality, patient-centered care that is safe, efficient and effective
• Support a broad, growing network of clinically integrated providers
• Develop a combined service capacity with seamless access to caregivers       and patients
• Combine financial strengths of both institutions to support future growth
• Provide continued opportunities for growth and development of the people in both organizations
• Represent the interests of both institutions through equal representation on the new system’s board
• Utilize the greater scale of the new system to deliver superior, affordable care and improve clinical outcomes.

With this merger, CDH and Delnor will keep their names and remain separate entities under one new healthcare system that is yet to be named.

What This Means for Tri-Cities Patients Patients

Delnor patients can continue to see their current physician as each hospital plans to retain its medical staff. However, CDH’s expansive network of doctors and specialists will expand available services at Delnor for Geneva patients.

“Should patients need to have care at one campus or the other, a sophisticated new records system being rolled out in the next 12 months will enable electronic sharing of information,” Steinbruecker said.

Steinbruecker said it should be clearly understood that all patients will be able to “receive seamless care” within this new health system.

Is This Merger Good for Delnor and Healthcare in Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles?

Because both CDH and Delnor are known for their outstanding patient care, with this merger, it can only be assumed that patient care will improve. This is good news for Geneva residents. Not only will Delnor patients have access to the talented staff at Delnor, but they will have access to the dedicated physicians at CDH as well.

“Both organizations are focused on innovation,” Steinbreucker said. “We (CDH and Delnor) have tremendous opportunities to expand upon proven expertise in heart and vascular, cancer, neurosciences, pediatrics and orthopedics care.”

The End Result

Delnor service-area patients can expect to see measurable improvements in healthcare services, medical technology, easier access to world class specialty care and this merger will allow for local provision of the most current and best medical care available.

• Editor's note: Andrea Cladis is the daughter of Dr. Peter Cladis of Fox Valley Family Physicians and is a former media intern at Delnor Hospital.