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Highlands Health set to merge with ARH

HD MEDIA

The Herald Dispatch

HAZARD, Ky. — Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) and Highlands Health System announced this week they have entered into a Letter of Intent to merge the Prestonsburg-based Highlands Regional Medical Center and other Highlands Health facilities and services into the multi-hospital ARH system.

ARH and Highlands hope to finalize the transaction by early next year after the completion of the due diligence process, according to a news release.

Harold C. Warman, President of Highlands Health System, said the merger will ensure that the communities Highlands serves will continue to have local access to the level of high-quality, cutting-edge healthcare Highlands has provided for the more than 44 years.

“It has been very important to us to identify a strong organization that can continue to provide the same level of advanced healthcare services our patients have come to expect from Highlands as well as position the hospital for continued growth in the future,” Warman said.

“Appalachian Regional Healthcare has been the leading provider of care in eastern Kentucky for more than 60 years and in that time the health system has been consistently recognized for its quality and commitment to excellent patient care. In combining the strength of the ARH system of hospitals with the exceptionally skilled Highland’s staff, we are confident that through this merger, the health of our communities will be in the best of hands.”

ARH offers a wide-range of primary and specialty care services through its network of health facilities and partnerships with other health systems, virtually eliminating residents’ need to leave the area for care.

“As a member of the ARH system, Highlands will continue to provide its tradition of excellent care while also benefitting from the collective stability and strength a multi-hospital system such as ARH can offer,” said ARH President and CEO Joe Grossman. “ARH is committed to providing our patients an unparalleled experience as the most trusted home for healthcare. To do this, we continue to build upon the passion and dedication of our talented staff and the unmatched quality of the care we provide. We are excited that the Highlands team will be a part of the ARH system and our long-term plans for the future of healthcare in eastern Kentucky.”

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