St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton has signed a nonbinding Letter of Intent to become part of Capital Health, the Central Jersey health care system announced this week.
According to a news release, the LOI represents a first step in evaluating and designed a framework for a definitive agreement that would see St. Francis shift from Trinity Health to the Hopewell-based Capital Health organization.
“From its founding as the city’s first hospital in 1874 to its important role as an acute care teaching hospital and Mercer County’s only provider of comprehensive cardiac surgery, St. Francis Medical Center has always put the needs of Trenton and surrounding neighborhoods first,” Al Maghazehe, CEO and president of Capital Health, said in a prepared statement. “This approach aligns very well with Capital Health’s mission, and we are committed to our shared vision of providing the highest level of care for the community.”
St. Francis serves the Mercer County region, including Burlington County and parts of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Capital Health likewise serves the area, including through its two hospitals, Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton and Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, as well as other facilities.
“As a safety net hospital, ensuring the community has access to care is the heart of our mission,” Joseph Youngblood II, chairman of the board of trustees for St. Francis, said in a statement. “In response to a broad national transformation of health care, we look to combine our strengths with those of Capital, a health care leader, and grow services for our residents.”
Trinity Health is a Catholic health care system based in Michigan.
The two parties will now enter a due diligence period, noting that customary approvals may be necessary and that any combined system would be non-Catholic.
“Our partnership with Capital Health will be a fitting legacy to the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for their decades of service to Trenton and Mercer County,” Youngblood said.
