Huntington Hospital Signs Letter of Intent to Join Cedars-Sinai Health System

Letter of Intent Provides for Continued Local Governance, Ongoing Community Commitment

Huntington Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Health System today announced the signing of a Letter of Intent for Huntington to affiliate with Cedars-Sinai Health System.

Cedars-Sinai Health System was established in 2017 to provide a platform for high-quality healthcare institutions to collaborate and share resources and expertise. It currently comprises Cedars-Sinai (which includes Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital, as well as its network of physicians and medical offices throughout Southern California) and Torrance Memorial (which includes Torrance Memorial Medical Center, its network of physicians and medical offices throughout the South Bay).

The Letter of Intent includes commitments for continued investment in Huntington Hospital—in enterprise information technology, ambulatory services and physician development. It resulted from a strategic review by a special committee of the Huntington Hospital Board of Directors, led by Chair Jaynie Studenmund.

“I am delighted to announce this first step toward creating an affiliation between Cedars-Sinai Health System and Huntington Hospital that will further strengthen the communities we serve,” said Studenmund. “After reviewing a variety of alternatives, it became clear to our board that connecting our trusted brand of care to Cedars-Sinai Health System is the right choice to secure our future, enabling us to continue to provide high-quality care to the community for years to come.”

Studenmund continued, “Cedars-Sinai Health System is among the nation’s top hospitals across a variety of metrics and has demonstrated a commitment to build on the strengths of its affiliates to advance clinical quality and outcomes, provide outstanding patient care and engage with the communities it serves. This step will allow for a continued focus on quality patient care, excellence in our nursing and medical staff, and the ongoing fulfillment of our historic mission for the benefit of our physicians, employees and the communities of the San Gabriel Valley.”

“Huntington Hospital’s longstanding commitment to the community, its reputation for quality and its outstanding physicians, nurses and other staff make it a very good fit for Cedars-Sinai Health System,” said Vera Guerin, chair of the Cedars-Sinai Health System Board of Directors.
“Collaborations and sharing of resources throughout the health system will further strengthen Huntington’s ability to serve the community for decades to come.”

Huntington Hospital anticipates that the shared clinical expertise from affiliating with a system that includes one of the nation’s most esteemed academic and research medical centers—Cedars-Sinai Medical Center—will benefit its patients, physicians and allied clinical staff in many ways in the years ahead.

The Letter of Intent sustains Huntington’s 128-year legacy and its connection to the communities it serves. It provides for an ongoing commitment to advancing Huntington’s existing mission and unique culture as a community institution governed by its local community board. In addition, philanthropy and volunteer support will remain locally controlled and utilized for Huntington Hospital and its existing community.

For now, it remains business as usual at Huntington Hospital. There is currently no plan for a change in job positions based on the Letter of Intent.

Dr. Lori Morgan, CEO of Huntington noted, “Cedars-Sinai Health System has demonstrated a commitment to build on the strengths of its affiliates to advance clinical quality and outcomes, provide outstanding patient care and engage with the communities it serves, making it the clear choice for Huntington and our stakeholders. We expect that Huntington would be both a strong contributor to this world-renowned, nonprofit system and enjoy the benefits of joining a larger, regional organization to preserve our legacy of compassionate, community-based care well into the future.”

“The Huntington board, along with Lori Morgan and her colleagues, has a great vision for Huntington’s future, which will further strengthen an already outstanding institution for the benefit of the community,” said Thomas M. Priselac, Cedars-Sinai Health System president and CEO. “Being part of Cedars-Sinai Health System would help them achieve that vision, as well as enable collaborations with other health system members to increase access to high-quality care throughout the region.”

With the Letter of Intent completed, Cedars-Sinai Health System and Huntington Hospital now begin work on a definitive agreement. Completing the affiliation is subject to customary closing conditions, including securing necessary regulatory approvals.

About Cedars-Sinai Health System

Cedars-Sinai Health System was established in 2017 to bring together a collaborative network of high-quality healthcare institutions to share resources and expertise. Expanding patient access to convenient and affordable clinical care is a fundamental goal of the health system. Currently, the Cedars-Sinai Health System comprises Cedars-Sinai (which includes the 890-bed Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the 145-bed Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital), joint ventures with California Rehabilitation Institute and Cedars-Sinai Providence Tarzana Medical Center, as well as its network of physicians and ambulatory services at more than 40 locations throughout Southern California and Torrance Memorial (which includes the 470-bed Torrance Memorial Medical Center, its network of physicians and medical offices throughout the South Bay). The institutions in the health system serve nearly 2 million people each year.

About Huntington Hospital

Huntington Hospital, www.huntingtonhospital.org, is a 619-bed not-for-profit hospital in Pasadena, California. We are named among the top hospitals in California and nationally ranked in two specialties by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more about us on Facebook www.facebook.com/huntingtonmemorialhospital and on Twitter @huntingtonnews.

Media Contacts

Cedars-Sinai Health System

Duke Helfand

Executive Director, Communications

Huntington Hospital

Eileen Neuwirth

Executive Director, Communications and Brand Strategy

Abernathy MacGregor

John Peter Kaytrosh / James Bourne

(213) 630-6550

[email protected] / [email protected]