NEENAH AND MILWAUKEE (NBC 26) — Froedtert Health and ThedaCare announced on Tuesday they have taken the first steps to combine organizations by signing a letter of intent to advance local health care for patients and improve healthcare delivery in Wisconsin.
“Both of our organizations have deep, long-standing ties in the communities we serve. Our Wisconsin roots have been instrumental in building creative solutions to meet our communities’ health needs,” said Cathy Jacobson, president and CEO of Froedtert Health. “By coming together with the state’s leader in regional community health, our combined organization will be poised to meaningfully address health equity and disparities, enhance access to a broader array of services and make it easier for patients to navigate the health care system. The Medical College of Wisconsin will continue to be an important partner in our work together.”
As outlined in a joint press release, the combined organization will
- Help the people of Wisconsin live their unique, best lives, providing better and more seamless access to care when people are sick or injured
- Be based in Wisconsin, led by people who live and work in Wisconsin and governed by a parent board composed of current board members from both organizations.
- Deliver real value and bring innovative solutions for the health care needs of its state and communities, including addressing health equity, health disparities, and more.
- Honor and grow the strong legacies of clinical excellence and community commitment that are shared hallmarks of each organization.
- Work in concert with its partners at the Medical College of Wisconsin to bring together every aspect of care, including primary care, specialty care, the most advanced levels of care, clinical trials, graduate medical education and more.
Following the launch of the combined health system, Froedtert Health President and CEO Cathy Jacobson will initially assume the role of CEO, and ThedaCare President and CEO Imran A. Andrabi, MD, FAAFM will serve as president.
After a six-month transition period following the launch, Cathy will retire from the organization.
Upon Cathy’s retirement, Dr. Andrabi will assume the role of president and CEO of the combined organization, leveraging more than 30 years of medical, operational and strategic expertise and innovative leadership.
“Our organizations have a shared commitment to the people of Wisconsin,” said Jim Kotek, board chair of ThedaCare’s Board of Trustees. “That commitment is reflected in our quality of care, community investments and organizational cultures. These tenets will be the bedrock of our successes as we move forward to combine our organizations.”
“By coming together with ThedaCare and continuing to invest in our partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin, we have the ability to offer every aspect of health care to our communities in a more seamless, coordinated approach,” said Jackie Fredrick, chair of Froedtert Health’s Board of Directors.
Over the next several months, the organizations will work toward refining the details of a definitive agreement, which will outline the commitments of the combined system.
The goal is the launch the combined health system by the end of this calendar year.
To learn more about the combination plan, visit WIcareWIroots.com
