University of Florida Health announced Sept. 13 that its merger with Flagler Health+ is complete.
The two hospitals agreed to pursue a merger in February and in May announced they had reached a partnership agreement. The deal closed Sept. 1, UF Health said in a news release.
The merger results in two name changes. Flagler Health+ is now UF Health St. Johns and Flagler Hospital is now UF Health Flagler Hospital.
No personnel changes were announced.
“Throughout our entire selection process and then in discussions about moving forward, all of us at Flagler Health+ understood that UF Health was the right choice so that we could continue our tradition of caring for our community and our commitment to our team,” said Flagler Health+ CEO Carlton DeVooght in the release.
“This relationship brings the latest medical breakthroughs to the people we have served for more than a century, while greatly enhancing the services available.”
Flagler Health+ said it decided to merge with UF Health for its financial and human resources as well as its intellectual capital. It said the merger also provides needed advancement of medical practice and training to St. Johns County.
Additional reasons for the merger:
• Continued enhancement of quality and patient satisfaction through the sharing of best practices.
• Supporting key community-focused service lines, such as behavioral health and women’s health, while expanding the scope of services provided locally.
• Enhancing Flagler Health+’s ability to provide high-quality health care services to underserved populations.
• Strengthening recruitment and retention of team members, physicians and advanced practice providers to enhance the community’s access to local quality health care.
• Adding technology resources and expertise, including an integrated technology strategy, electronic health record implementation and new clinical technology and equipment to support health care professionals.
• Enhanced access to capital to support investments in facilities, infrastructure, technology and growth initiatives.
The Wall Street Journal named the University of Florida as the No. 1 public institution in the country in its “2024 Best Colleges in the US” report. For the past 10 years, UF Health Shands has been listed among the state’s top three hospitals.