Loyola Medicine, Palos Health expand partnership with plans to fully merge

Illinois hospital systems Loyola Medicine and Palos Health plan to merge, according to a joint announcement made Monday. The two systems have signed a non-binding letter of intent and due diligence is expected to take several months. The terms of the LOI are not being disclosed. Palos Health will continue to operate as a not-for-profit corporation. The proposed merger will expand the organizations' partnership, Loyola's footprint and access to care and services. The hope is that the merger will help keep staff in-house and attract new clinical talent. Palos Health and Loyola Medicine formed an academic affiliation in 2015 that enabled the expansion of services for Palos. That partnership enabled several patient-care initiatives including a telestroke program allowing Loyola stroke specialists to communicate with Palos Hospital patients at their bedside. It also streamlined trauma transfers and subspecialty referrals from Palos to Loyola, the systems said.