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Aurora to take full ownership of Bay Area Medical Center

MARINETTE, Wis.– Advocate Aurora Health announced Wednesday that the health system has signed an agreement to assume full ownership of Bay Area Medical Center.

The hospital — to be renamed Aurora Medical Center-Bay Area — has operated since 2014 as a joint venture of Bay Area Medical Center and Aurora Health Care, which merged with Illinois-based Advocate Health Care last year.

The deal is expected to close in mid-year 2019, subject to regulatory approvals.

“A full transition under the Advocate Aurora Health umbrella is a natural evolution given our common vision and values about high quality, patient centered care,” said Ed Harding, president of Bay Area Medical Center. “This move will ensure the strength and stability of the medical center as all providers are navigating through uncertainties in the health care industry. The community will benefit from a wide array of coordinated services in the existing Advocate Aurora Health footprint, and patients and families can rest assured they’ll continue to receive the highest quality care.”

The agreement also calls for Advocate Aurora Health to contribute $25 million to the formation and development of a new foundation, whose primary purpose will be to support health and wellness programs in local communities and Aurora Medical Center-Bay Area.

For more than four years, community residents have benefitted from the organizations’ addition of urgent care services and expansion of patient access to primary care and specialized health services, a new state-of-the-art hospital, and implementation of an advanced electronic health record system to enhance care coordination.

“We’ve been so privileged to serve the Marinette, Menominee and Peshtigo area and remain committed to delivering the safest, highest quality care here,” said Jeff Bard, executive vice president of North Wisconsin at Advocate Aurora Health. “As we accelerate our efforts to make expert care more accessible, convenient and cost-effective, we’ll continue to engage with the patients and communities we serve to ensure we’re providing the best service at the best value and that our medical center remains a pillar in the community for years to come.”

Advocate Aurora Health is the 10th largest not-for-profit, integrated health system in the United States and a leading employer in the Midwest with more than 70,000 team members, including more than 22,000 nurses and the region’s largest employed medical staff and home health organization.

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