DAVENPORT, Iowa — The Genesis Health System announced Wednesday, Dec. 1 it was looking into partnering with another health care system.
Genesis, the third-largest employer in Scott County, employs about 5,000 in the Quad Cities area.
"It's about thriving and growing into the future in a very competitive dynamic health care environment," Genesis President and CEO Doug Cropper said.
In a statement released Wednesday, the company said it was going into the partnership search with the goal of enhancing local delivery of care; reinforcing cultural commitment to quality, safety and patient experience; enhancing workforce resources; and increasing community investment.
"This is the best time for us to look at options that can secure our success in the future," Cropper said. "This is all about getting better."
"We are exploring potential partnerships to ensure that we can grow and thrive into the future in a dynamic and rapidly changing health care environment,” Cropper said in the statement. “We will only consider partnerships with other leading systems that support our unwavering focus to address our communities’ local health needs.”
Genesis assured in the statement it was in a good financial position and doesn't need a partnership to ensure its survival, but rather, a partnership would help create new opportunities to address market pressures and increase scale.
“We have seen our organization become better through partnerships, beginning with the union of Mercy and St. Luke’s hospitals in 1994 and the welcoming of other community hospitals and organizations into the Genesis family,” Chair of Genesis’ Board of Directors Steve Bahls said in Wednesday's statement. "Our successful history of collaborations allows us to move into this exploration process with confidence."
The system will decide by summer 2022 whether to partner with another health care system or remain independent.
"There's a lot of activity in mergers and acquisitions, I think the pandemic is only going to accelerate that," Cropper said. "We're not in a position of desperation. It's about bringing more local care here, and having greater access and greater innovation within our local market."
Find information about the Genesis' partnership exploration as the process moves forward here.