Judge clears way for Advocate NorthShore merger

A federal judge's decision announced today paves the way for the merger of Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem.

U.S. Northern District Judge Jorge Alonso denied the Federal Trade Commission's request to block the merger of the new health care systems. So the creation of Advocate NorthShore Health Partners can now move ahead. Hospital officials said the merger will help expand access to health care, unify quality and lower overall cost of care for patients.

“Judge Alonso's decision reaffirmed what we have wholeheartedly believed since day one — this merger is a big win for consumers and for health care in our country as the shift to value takes hold,” said Jim Skogsbergh, Advocate's president and CEO. “We look forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting to work together to deliver on our commitment of making health care more affordable while raising the standard of care.”

Advocate and NorthShore first announced their intentions to merge in September 2014. After a 15-month review, the FTC opposed the merger in December 2015 setting the stage for a federal court hearing in April 2016, culminating in today's decision.

ANHP, the parent company for both organizations, will serve more than 3 million patients annually, making it the 11th largest not-for-profit health care system in the United States. Skogsbergh and Neaman will serve as co-CEOs of ANHP for a designated time frame. The ANHP board of directors will be comprised of an equal number of members from both Advocate and NorthShore; and the organizations are consolidating financial statements.

“We believe that by bringing together our two very strong and complementary institutions we are creating a patient-centered 'system of systems' that will deliver exceptional care and unprecedented access for those who matter most — our patients,” said Mark Neaman, NorthShore's president and CEO.