New York hospitals complete merger and unveil new name

The central New York region now has a new name in healthcare.

Arnot Health and Cayuga Health announced this week that they have completed their merger. The organization will be known as Centralus Health.

This week, Arnot Health and Cayuga Health announced that they have completed their merger. The combined organization will be known as Centralus Health.

The merged system includes five hospitals serving New York’s Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions. Centralus employs 6,500 workers and through the partnership, the system said it offers $1 billion annually in patient services.

Dr. Martin Stallone, CEO of Cayuga Health, is serving as the CEO of Centralus Health. Arnot and Cayuga began exploring the potential of coming together in April 2023. The systems said they solicited feedback from staff, community leaders and patients.

“This partnership represents a shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality care for the communities we serve,” Stallone said in a statement.

“Together, we are strengthening our ability to offer a wider array of services, reach underserved populations, and invest in the future of healthcare delivery – locally,” he said.”

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The plans call for moving to EPIC’s electronic health record system, which will also give patients access to the MyChart patient portal to schedule appointments, check lab results and communicate with the system. Centralus expects to have EPIC up and running by March 2025.

Jonathan Lawrence, CEO of Arnot Health, will serve as executive vice president of Centralus Health.

“As health systems face increasing financial and workforce challenges, this partnership enables us to leverage shared resources, increase efficiencies, and ultimately lower operational costs,” Lawrence said in a statement. “Centralus Health will continue to focus on deepening community connections and setting a higher standard for personalized care in every service we provide.”

The merged system said it plans to put more money into its workforce and its facilities. In a news release, Centralus Health also acknowledged the merger will allow the organization to offer more services.

“The partnership will expand access to a full spectrum of services, including specialized care that may have been challenging to provide independently,” Centralus said in the release. “These services encompass emergency care, critical cardiac care, cancer care, labor and delivery, NICU, outpatient care, behavioral health, substance use rehabilitation, long-term care, home nursing, durable medical equipment, and emergency transportation.”

Cayuga Health operates Cayuga Medical Center, a 212-bed hospital in Ithaca, N.Y., and Schuyler Hospital, a 16-bed critical access hospital with an adjoining skilled nursing facility in Montour Falls, N.Y.

Arnot Health owns Arnot Ogden Medical Center, a 256-bed facility in Elmira, N.Y.: St. Joseph’s Hospital, a 176-bed facility in Elmira; and Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital, a 35-bed hospital in Bath, N.Y., which also includes a skilled nursing facility.

There are other changes poised to take place in New York’s hospital market.

Northwell Health, New York’s largest health system, has moved to acquire Nuvance Health, a system operating hospitals in New York and Connecticut. Northwell operates 21 hospitals, while Nuvance owns seven hospitals. Combined, the two systems have more than $19 billion in revenue.

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