DES MOINES – UnityPoint Health, headquartered in Des Moines, announced on Friday its intent to enter into a new partnership with Sanford Health, headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The partnership impacts the entire UnityPoint Health organization, including its Fort Dodge hospital, UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center.

The new company would be led by Kevin Vermeer, president and CEO of UnityPoint Health, and Kelby Rabbenhoft, president and CEO of Sanford Health.

Rabbenhoft would serve as president and CEO of the newly formed company, and Vermeer would serve as senior executive and vice president.

“Our organizations share a deep commitment to exceptional patient care and a vision for transforming and sustaining health care in our communities,” Vermeer said. “We are approaching our discussions very purposefully, with a clear and common vision for success. First and foremost, our focus is on people. Working together, we will find new ways to broaden access to care – beyond the traditional settings – and take greater responsibility for the health of the populations we serve.”

Rabbenhoft added, “Sanford and UnityPoint are two successful systems intent on controlling our own destiny. We believe that in the very near future, fully integrated health systems will drive greater value through affordable options for high-quality health care to patients, governments and employers. The combination of Sanford and UnityPoint will help both organizations better meet this need, creating a new system positioned for continued growth across a broad geography.”

In a statement on UnityPoint Health’s website, Vermeer said a person’s physician, care team, hospital, and insurance coverage, are among the things that won’t change as a result of the new partnership.

With more than $11 billion in operating revenue, the combined company would rank among the top 15 largest nonprofit health systems in the country.

The new organization would employ more than 83,000 staff and 2,600 physicians and carry out operations in 26 states and nine countries, including hospitals, clinics, health plans and networks, post-acute care, research, innovation and other lines of business.

Full story in tomorrow’s Messenger.