Centura Health’s Catholic, Adventist partners to split

Two health-care chains affiliated with religious denominations that formed a partnership in 1996 have decided to part ways, affecting Morgan County hospitals.

CommonSpirit Health and AdventHealth, with ties to the Roman Catholic and Seventh-day Adventist churches, respectively, had partnered in 1996 to form Centura Health, a network that included 19 hospitals in Colorado and western Kansas. CommonSpirit Health had been formed by the merger of Centennial-based Catholic Health Initiatives and San Franciscobased Dignity Health.

But Tuesday, CommonSpirit Health and AdventHealth announced that they were ending the arrangement.

Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, the nation’s largest Catholic health system, owns Longmont United Hospital, while Advent Health, based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, owns Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville.

“While this has been a strong partnership for 27 years, CommonSpirit Health and AdventHealth have both grown and evolved over the years as have the health care needs of the communities,” the nonprofit organizations said in a news release. “The partnership has accomplished so much, yet, it has reached its natural maturity.

CommonSpirit Health and AdventHealth have collaboratively agreed that they can best serve their communities and health care ministries without a partnership —- with each organization directly managing their respective care sites which comprise Centura Health,” the release said. “Both organizations are committed to a thoughtful and expeditious transition, and Centura Health will continue in its management role of the hospitals, physician clinics and other care sites throughout the transition. There will be no disruption to patient care.”

The statement did not indicate whether people employed by Centura itself would be able to transition into other jobs with either system.

AdventHealth also owns Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, Littleton Adventist Hospital, Parker Adventist Hospital and Denver’s Porter Adventist Hospital. CommonSpirit Health also owns OrthoColorado Hospital and St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Mercy Hospital in Durango, Penrose and St. Francis hospitals in Colorado Springs, St. Anthony North Hospital in Westminster, St. Anthony Summit Hospital in Frisco, St. Elizabeth Hospital in Fort Morgan, St. Mary-Corwin Hospital in Pueblo and St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City, and plans to open an orthopedic hospital in Colorado Springs this summer.

“CommonSpirit Health and AdventHealth maintain a strong relationship,” the news release said, “and are united in their commitment to the caregivers and ensuring the communities they serve have access to the best health care during and well beyond this transition.”

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