Harbin Clinic, Atrium Health Floyd confirm merger plans
Harbin Clinic and Atrium Health Floyd’s corporate offices in North Carolina confirmed in December that the medical providers are working toward what they’ve termed an affiliation.
“Today, we can confirm that we are working toward an affiliation with Atrium Health. This relationship would allow us to further build upon our legacy of serving Northwest Georgia and the surrounding region,” Harbin CEO Kenna Stock said in a statement.
“While important milestones have been met, there is more work to be done as we move forward,” Stock continued. “We are excited to see what the future holds and look forward to sharing more details in the coming months. Rest assured, Harbin Clinic remains steadfast in its commitment to our community and in serving the needs of our patients both in clinic and at all hospitals throughout the region.”
Harbin Clinic notified its employees of the potential of the merger in December. No details on the particulars of the deal or what stage the negotiations are in were available at that time.
Harbin, one of the largest privately owned, multispecialty physician groups in Georgia, supplies specialized physician services and other medical support for area and regional hospitals. The practice is comprised of 240 medical professionals representing 40 different medical specialties and services.
“Throughout its 150-year history, Harbin Clinic has remained true to its founding principles and continues to innovate in order to ensure patients have access to quality care,” a statement from Harbin reads. “The past few years have shown us the critical importance of challenging ourselves to rethink how we operate and to adapt as needed to establish new means of providing care.”
The idea of the merger isn’t a surprise in the current marketplace. Private equity firms and larger medical conglomerates have been purchasing smaller, and often more specialized, practices across the country over the past decade. The Rome News-Tribune has been tracking the potential for a sale of the locally headquartered medical practice for the past six months.
Inquiries to Atrium Health Floyd were directed to corporate offices headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a spokesperson also confirmed that a deal is in the works.
“For many years, there has been a strong tie between Floyd and Harbin Clinic to bring excellent clinical care to the local community,” the Atrium Health statement read. “We continually evaluate opportunities that align with our culture and vision for our future, which has always included Harbin Clinic.
“We are proud to share we are one step closer to an affiliation with Harbin Clinic and remain excited about the opportunities in front of us and are energized by this opportunity to join efforts to bring the best care for all. Out of respect for the process, we do not have any additional specifics to share at this time, but look forward to providing more information on our progress in the months ahead.”
Atrium Health has been rapidly expanding over the past two years and completed a major deal in early December with Advocate Aurora Health to combine healthcare systems, making it one of the largest systems in the U.S. It operates Floyd hospital in Rome and Polk Medical Center in Cedartown.
The renamed Advocate Health, which will be headquartered in Charlotte, will serve nearly 6 million patients annually and is the fifth-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the nation.
The hospital system will maintain its brands: The Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care brands in Wisconsin and Chicago, and Atrium Health in the Carolinas, and in Floyd County.