Will Health Care Change With Spectrum and Beaumont Health Joined?

Yes, health care continues to evolve, especially here in Michigan. And now it's official that Spectrum Health here is West Michigan, and Beaumont Health in South East Michigan launch a new combined health system today, temporarily be known as BHSH System.

We had heard that the two health systems signed a formal letter of intent to join together to create a new health system back in June and have been working to finalize the agreement since then.

Yesterday, Monday, January 31, the two announced the board of directors and system leadership team for the new combined health system, so now it's game on.

They announced that the BHSH System board of directors includes seven members appointed from Beaumont Health and seven members appointed from Spectrum Health. According to Spectrum and Beaumont, Tina Freese Decker, Spectrum Health's current CEO, will be president & CEO of the new BHSH System, and will also serve on the board, as well as an additional board member who will be named later this year.

So, should we be worried? Does this alter, if at all, how we access health care at Spectrum Health here in West Michigan? The new BHSH System leadership team say no change and access to care will stay the same.

Spectrum and Beaumont are the two largest health care systems in Michigan with Spectrum a $8.3 billion, not-for-profit health system with 31,000+ team members, 14 hospitals (including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital), and the nation’s third-largest provider-sponsored health plan, Priority Health.

Beaumont, is in Southeast Michigan with more than 33,000 employees, eight hospitals and a total annual net patient revenue of $4.6 billion.

For more information, visit the For Michigan, By Michigan website.