HPHA CEO Says Formalizing the Amalgamation of Their Four Hospitals Won't Change Much

by Bob Montgomery

Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance CEO Andrew Williams says they have submitted a request to the Ministry of Health to amalgamate the four corporations of the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance.

Williams says the formal amalgamation doesn't really change their business model. The hospitals in Clinton, Seaforth, Stratford and St. Marys have been running as a merged organization since 2003 when they formed. They feel that operating in this way is important as they move forward and deal with the ongoing realities of health care and ensuring that the organization is really focused on the future.

Williams adds, a more formal amalgamation will definitely bring some efficiencies to what they're currently doing. “Right now we have to sign off on multiple agreements for each corporation. Even though we run financially as one, we still have to do five audited statements. So there will be efficiencies that will be realized through this.”

He also says they recognize that the HPHA has been together for twenty years. It's not going to tease apart, it makes no sense to do that, so formalizing the amalgamation is the right decision to make for them at this point in time.