Westchester Health Associates Announces It has Signed Letter of Intent to Join North Shore-LIJ

KATONAH, N.Y. - Sept. 18, 2015 - PRLog -- Westchester Health Associates and North Shore-LIJ announced yesterday that they have signed a letter of intent for its 130 provider-physician practice to join the health system, increasing the North Shore-LIJ presence in Westchester County. The letter of intent allows North Shore-LIJ and Westchester Health Associates to enter into exclusive negotiations with the goal of executing a final agreement this fall.

Peter Mercurio, MD, President and CEO of Westchester Health Associates, said, “We hope to continue to grow our ambulatory services’ footprint throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties as well as western Connecticut and beyond by aligning with North Shore-LIJ. Further, North Shore-LIJ shares our mission to deliver compassionate, community based care of the highest quality.  It is our vision that Westchester Health Associates be a part of a comprehensive patient-centered healthcare system that improves the health of our population and sets the standard for the region. Westchester Health Associates has been designated as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home, the highest recognition for a medical group.  This is a reflection of the quality of integrated care provided by our physician practices.”

“Westchester Health Associates is a premier medical group whose physicians are leaders in population health management. Thanks to its high-quality, efficient practice, the group has become a pioneer in value-based and risk contracting,” said Thomas McGlinn, MD, chair of medicine at the North Shore-LIJ Health System, who will work closely with the group.. “In addition to its many clinical specialists, Westchester Health Associates has a large presence of primary care physicians in the northern suburbs, which will help build on the North Shore-LIJ’s population health efforts to improve the coordination of care for our patients.”

About Westchester Health Associates

With 39 offices throughout Westchester County and Stamford, CT, Westchester Health Associates is a full-service medical group with a large primary care practice, as well as specialists in: allergy/immunology, cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, gynecology and obstetrics, hand surgery, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pain management, pediatrics, physical therapy, plastic surgery, podiatry, sports medicine and urology.  For more information go to www.westchesterhealth.com.

About North Shore-LIJ Health System -- North Shore-LIJ is changing its name to Northwell Health in January 2016.

One of the nation's largest health systems, the health system delivers world-class clinical care throughout the New York metropolitan area, pioneering research at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, a visionary approach to medical education highlighted by the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, and healthcare coverage to individuals, families and businesses through the CareConnect Insurance Co. Inc. The health system cares for people at every stage of life at 21 hospitals and about 450 outpatient physician practices throughout the region. The health system’s owned hospitals and long-term care facilities house more than 6,600 beds, employ more than 13,300 nurses and have affiliations with about 10,300 physicians. With a workforce of more than 61,000, the health system is the largest private employer in New York State.  For more information, go to www.northshorelij.com.