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Huntington Hospital Signs Letter of Intent to Join Cedars-Sinai Health System

Huntington Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Health System today announced the signing of a Letter of Intent for Huntington to affiliate with Cedars-Sinai Health System.

The letter of intent provides for continued local governance and ongoing community commitment. See the full letter of intent, as well as answers to some frequently asked questions, below.

You can also learn more in our press release.

March 9, 2020

Dear Huntington Community,

I write today with important and exciting news about Huntington Hospital’s future. Following careful consideration and a thorough review of many options, our Board of Directors has signed a Letter of Intent to affiliate with Cedars-Sinai Health System.

As many of you know, Cedars-Sinai Health System is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top hospitals and has proven its ability to build on the strengths of its affiliates to advance clinical quality and outcomes, provide outstanding patient care and engage with the communities it serves. As an affiliate of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, Huntington would continue to operate separately and have its own Board of Directors, employees and medical staff, but this step would strengthen our long-term ability to serve the community through collaborations and sharing of resources with Cedars-Sinai Health System.

Today, Huntington Hospital is stable and strong, with a healthy financial position and a reputation for clinical excellence. Some months ago, our Board of Directors, led by Chair Jaynie Studenmund, undertook a strategic review to evaluate what is necessary to secure our future, enabling us to continue to provide high-quality care to the community years to come. The Board concluded that becoming part of a strong health system will enable Huntington to continue to excel in meeting its historic commitment to the communities we serve.

After reviewing a variety of alternatives, it became clear that an affiliation with Cedars-Sinai Health System is the right choice. This affiliation would make Huntington Hospital part of Cedars-Sinai Health System, alongside Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Torrance Memorial Hospital, while preserving the services and benefits that we provide for our community.

As I mention in the news release we will be issuing today, “This step will allow for a continued focus on quality patient care, excellence in our nursing and medical staff, and the ongoing fulfillment of our historic mission for the benefit of our physicians, employees and the communities of the San Gabriel Valley.”

While Cedars-Sinai Health System would become our parent organization, the agreement envisions an ongoing commitment to advancing our existing mission and unique culture as a community institution governed by our local community board. It also includes commitments for continued investment in Huntington Hospital—in enterprise information technology, ambulatory services and physician development. For now, it remains business as usual at Huntington Hospital. There is currently no plan for a change in job positions based on the Letter of Intent.

Cedars-Sinai Health System was established in 2017 to provide a platform for high-quality healthcare institutions to collaborate and share resources and expertise, while maintaining an optimal level of local control at each institution. It currently comprises Cedars-Sinai (which includes Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital, as well as its network of physicians and medical offices throughout Southern California) and Torrance Memorial (which includes Torrance Memorial Medical Center, its network of physicians and medical offices throughout the South Bay).

It has demonstrated a commitment to build on the strengths of its affiliates to advance clinical quality and outcomes, provide outstanding patient care and engage with the communities it serves. Huntington would be both a strong contributor to this world-renowned, nonprofit system and enjoy the benefits of joining a larger, regional organization.

In addition, the shared clinical expertise from partnering with a system that includes one of the nation’s most esteemed academic and research medical centers, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, will benefit our patients, physicians and allied clinical staff in many ways in the years ahead.

Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a process, not an end. This is a letter of intent to develop a definitive agreement for the proposed affiliation between Huntington Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Health System. Completing this affiliation also requires satisfying customary closing conditions, including securing necessary regulatory approvals. While this is a complex process that requires confidentiality in the discussions, we will be in touch as we have new information to share.

We know you probably have questions. Attached to this letter is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that addresses many of the most common ones. Please feel free to direct any further questions or concerns to questions@huntingtonhospital.com . While we may not have all the answers now, we will answer questions as we are able.

We appreciate your continued commitment to this hospital, our patients and our community, and we look forward to working together to preserve our legacy of compassionate, community-based care well into the future.

Sincerely,

Jaynie Studenmund

Huntington Hospital Board Chairman

March 9, 2020

What is a Letter of Intent?

A Letter of Intent, like the one we have signed with Cedars-Sinai Health System, is followed by the development of a definitive agreement. Subject to reaching a final agreement, the Letter of Intent signals the view of the Huntington board that there is great potential for an affiliation with Cedars-Sinai Health System that would be good for all our stakeholders. The definitive agreement is subject to review by various regulatory agencies that approve proposed affiliations of this type.

2. Is Huntington being sold?

No, we are not for sale or being sold. The Letter of Intent marks the beginning of the process described above that would ultimately allow us to join Cedars-Sinai Health System and benefit from the strength of their system to secure our future, enabling us to continue to provide high-quality care to the community for years to come in a rapidly changing healthcare sector.

3. Why do we need to combine with another health system?

The Board believes that joining with another strong institution is the best way to secure Huntington’s future serving patients and the community for decades to come. This is especially true in light of the challenges we and the rest of our field face, including intensified competition; the ongoing costs of new medical and information technology; the increasing focus on accessible, coordinated care and the need to make healthcare as affordable as possible.

4. Why is Cedars-Sinai Health System the right health system for Huntington to join?

Cedars-Sinai Health System supports the continuation of our legacy as a community institution focused on clinical excellence through continued investment in Huntington Hospital. Cedars-Sinai has already proven itself able to successfully navigate many of the same challenges that have caused us to seek to join a health system; for example, Cedars-Sinai will bring its experience in implementing a next-generation Electronic Health Records system to Huntington, giving us a smoother transition than if we tried to implement one on our own.

In addition, the shared clinical expertise from partnering with a system that includes one of the nation’s most esteemed academic and research medical centers, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, will benefit our patients, physicians and allied clinical staff in many ways in the years ahead.

5. Will we still have local governance?

Yes, our Board of Directors will continue to have oversight of Huntington Hospital. In fact, one of the key principles of Cedars-Sinai Health System is the value placed on continued local community support and maintaining the Board of Directors’ involvement in assuring high-quality care and oversight of Huntington’s operations. Maintaining Huntington’s legacy as a community institution is a key part of why we entered into a Letter of Intent with Cedars-Sinai Health System.

6. What will happen to our physicians and employees at this time?

Our intent in joining Cedars-Sinai Health System is to make Huntington better and stronger for the benefit of our entire community, including staff and physicians. Cedars-Sinai has said that they would respect the current relationships that Huntington has with its employees and physicians. For now, it remains business as usual at Huntington Hospital. There is currently no plan for a change in job positions based on the Letter of Intent.

7. How long will this process take?

It is difficult to estimate when, but it is a lengthy process of many months. Both Huntington Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Health System are committed to negotiating the definitive agreement in a timely way. Once we reach a definitive agreement, it would be submitted for review by various regulatory agencies that approve proposed affiliations of this type.

8. What if we don’t reach a definitive agreement with Cedars-Sinai Health System?

While the Board is confident that joining Cedars-Sinai Health System is the best way to fulfill Huntington’s vision, the Hospital’s future and financial position are sound, whether as a standalone institution or as a part of Cedars-Sinai Health System.

9. Will our donors or volunteers be affected by an agreement?

All donors can be confident that past and future gifts will continue to be used exclusively for the purposes for which they are designated; similarly, volunteers will continue to serve Huntington, just as they do today. Our donors and volunteers are part of what make us special and successful as a community institution, and we remain grateful for their support.

Hospital Services

Our specialty services are well known for innovative care and excellence in patient outcomes. Through programs created to fulfill our mission we provide millions of dollars annually in charity care, benefits for vulnerable populations, health research, education and training, and support programs for all members of the community. We are an active teaching hospital with graduate medical education programs in internal medicine and general surgery.

OUR SERVICES

A Full Spectrum of Care

Huntington Hospital offers the full spectrum of care for every need, in a variety of settings and through community partnerships. From primary care to urgent care, and from emergency care to trauma care, Huntington Hospital and its partners ensure that community members receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Our History

Huntington Hospital, located at the heart of the San Gabriel Valley, is committed to providing the highest quality healthcare and emergency services to the members of our community. Only six years younger than Pasadena itself, our hospital has grown with the community we serve.

Leadership

Huntington Hospital’s executive management team and board of directors are committed to stewardship of world-class health care. Learn more about our leaders.

Mission & Vision

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide excellent health care and compassionate service to each person by bringing together outstanding physicians, caring nurses, professional staff and advanced technologies.

Vision Statement

To be the leader in creating community well-being through world-class health care delivered with kindness and dignity.

Respect · Integrity · Stewardship · Excellence · Collaboration

Thank you for allowing us to care for you. We take every step to exceed your expectations, and we encourage you to play an active role in your care. As part of our commitment to you, we will:

Treat you with courtesy and respect.
Listen carefully.
Explain things in ways you understand.
Address your needs.
Answer your questions to keep you informed.
Respond to your concerns.
Provide a safe and clean environment.
Include you and your family in your care.
Be sensitive to your cultural needs.
Work together as a team to care for you.

Thank you for allowing us to care for you. We take every step to exceed your expectations, and we encourage you to play an active role in your care. As part of our commitment to you, we will:

Awards

Accreditations and awards are an important reflection of our work and impact on patients and our communities, and we are proud to share the following designations.

We encourage you to read about our 16 additional service line accreditations and patient experience awards on our awards page.

VIEW ALL AWARDS

Quality & Public Reporting

We strive to provide compassionate community care with the very best clinical practices and a personal touch. We are proud to report our results via our Annual Reports, industry and watchdog group ratings.

2018 ANNUAL REPORT PDF

ANNUAL REPORT ARCHIVE

Community Benefits

Along with almost 3,000 other nonprofit hospitals in the United States, Huntington Hospital forms the backbone of our nation’s healthcare system. Our mission is to ensure care and access for everyone, while always operating with the community’s best interest in mind. We are proud to provide information about our community impact in our Community Benefits Report

COMMUNITY BENEFITS REPORT

COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT (CHNA)

Non-Discrimination Statement

Discrimination is against the law.

Huntington Hospital complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.

Huntington Hospital does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.

Huntington Hospital:

Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
- Qualified sign language interpreters.
- Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic and other formats).
Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
- Qualified interpreters.
- Information written in other languages.

If you need these services, contact the patient relations department by calling (626) 397-5211. If you believe that Huntington Hospital has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex, you can file a grievance. You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax or email. If you need help filing a grievance, the patient relations department is available to help you.Huntington Hospital
Patient Relations
P.O. Box 7013
Pasadena, California 91109-7013
(626) 397-5211 (phone)
(626) 397-2119 (fax)
debora.jackson@huntingtonhospital.com

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal or by mail or phone at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 509F, HHH Building Washington, D.C. 20201 1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD). Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file.

Interpretation services available in other languages

Spanish	ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al (626) 397-5211.
Chinese	注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 (626) 397-5211。
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