UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Board of Trustees accepted a recommendation to end the University’s affiliation agreement with PinnacleHealth Systems during a meeting via conference call today (Oct. 14).
Since 2014 Penn State and Pinnacle had sought to bring the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and PinnacleHealth together to form a new enterprise under the umbrella of Penn State Health.
The Penn State-Pinnacle agreement was challenged in court by the Federal Trade Commission and Pennsylvania’s Office of the Attorney General. The court stopped the merger.
“We are disappointed by the court’s decision. We firmly believe the integration of our two health systems would serve the best interests of patients and the entire central Pennsylvania community. But given the time and cost associated with continuing litigation, PinnacleHealth and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center have decided to bring our integration effort to a close,” the medical center said in a statement.
The statement continued, “While we pursued plans for our integration, PinnacleHealth and the Hershey Medical Center enjoyed a positive and collaborative working relationship. Where circumstances allow and where it makes the most sense for our patients, we will continue to collaborate in the future.”
The full Board of Trustees resolution from today’s meeting can be found online at http://www.psu.edu/trustees/pdf/Resolution%2010.14.16.pdf.