Health system reaches deal to buy 49-bed Waynesburg hospital

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (AP) - A western Pennsylvania health system has reached a tentative agreement to buy a small hospital in the region.

Washington Health System officials said they expect to close the purchase July 1 but declined to disclose details of the deal for the 49-bed Southwest Regional Medical Center.

Washington Health officials said they plan to continue services at Southwest Regional and honor existing union contracts. The hospital has been part of RegionalCare since 2005.

Cynthia Cowie will stay on as CEO of SRMC through the transition period.

“We live in a rapidly changing health care environment and new regionally focused alignments like this are becoming imperative to the delivery of care in local communities,” she said in a statement.

Gary Weinstein, CEO of Washington Health, said WHS named Terry Wiltrout, former CEO of Canonsburg Hospital, to lead SRMC once the merger is complete.

Washington Health System has many service offerings already in Greene County, he said, including a family medicine practice, OB-GYN practice and outpatient services.

Weinstein said a new name for the Waynesburg facility hasn’t been determined.

Under the proposal, Weinstein said WHS will allocate about $1 million for improvements to facilities and information technology. About $800,000 of that will go toward buying medicine and supplies for SRMC.

RegionalCare, current owner of Southwest Regional Medical Center, is moving toward larger medical facilities.

Washington Health’s 260-bed flagship hospital is located in Washington. The company has more than 40 off-site locations.