WMCHealth Announces New 'Hospital Unification Plan'

A massive health network that serves the Hudson Valley and Westchester has announced what they are calling a 'hospital unification plan,' explaining what changes that patients can expect, and what will be staying the same. The Westchester Medical Health Center Network is one of the largest healthcare systems in the area with nine hospitals and more than 12,000 employees.

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WMCHealth Announces Hospital Unification Plan

In a notice to patients on Tuesday, July 15th, WMCHealth announced an 'administrative change that will integrate most of our hospitals under a single hospital license.' The unification plan will integrate all of the campuses into the Westchester County Health Care Corporation, also referred to as WCHCC.

This integration will deliver safe, high-quality and consistent care to our communities. It will unlock a number of important benefits and resources and ensure that our doctors, nurses and care teams will be able to share information more easily, coordinate care faster and better support patients who need advanced services across the network.

Doctors and Nurses Are NOT Changing

Current patients have been assured that they will still have the same access to care teams, as doctors and nurses are not changing. Medications, treatments and monitoring will 'continue without interruption as well.'

In addition, there will be no disruptions to insurance as a result of the integration, and providers will remain in-network. Thankfully, patients can be assured that their medical records will not be impacted, as all medical history will remain accessible with the existing medical record number on file.

The hospital unification plan is an administrative process and there will be no interruption to the care we provide. Patients will be able to receive better care closer to home, while benefiting from the capabilities and increased resources of a large academic health system.

Which Hospitals and Facilities Are Included?

As a result of this unification, the following facilities will be operational as 'campuses' of WCHCC:

Behavioral Health Center in Valhalla, NY
Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY
Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY
MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY
HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston, NY
Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, NY
Bon Secours Hospital in Port Jervis, NY
St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, NY
St. Josephs Place skilled nursing facility in Port Jervis, NY

Outside of those, both Margaretville Hospital and Mountainside Residential Care Center are NOT part of the integration. Due to Margaretville Hospital's 'Critical Access Hospital' designation, they are able to receive critical funding resources that help to support their operation, so they have not been included in this unification process.

Those with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact a member of their care team, or can direct questions to reply@wmchealth.org. Additional information can be found here.