GALLATIN-HighPoint Health System (HPHS) Chief Executive Officer Susan Peach recently announced that Livingston Regional Hospital (LRH) in Livingston, Tenn., has joined the Gallatin, TN, based health system to provide comprehensive health services to more than 490,000 residents throughout northern middle Tennessee.

Livingston Regional Hospital and the three current HPHS hospitals are owned by LifePoint Hospitals, a leading hospital company focused on providing healthcare services in non-urban communities.   LRH will be joining Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin, Trousdale Medical Center in Hartsville and Riverview Regional Medical Center in Carthage as part of the growing health system.

“By operating as one system, the four hospitals will be in a stronger position to provide comprehensive services in a cost-effective manner, capture additional market share from the combined service area, and effectively compete against other providers surrounding the region,” said Peach.

The hospitals, which are each located approximately 20 miles apart, will operate as one comprehensive health system with four campuses. Peach said this addition will allow Livingston Regional and the additional hospitals of HighPoint to realize significant benefits, including, driving growth by sharing service line and clinical capabilities across all markets where there are needs and opportunities, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of all hospitals through shared best practices, standardization and shared expertise and operating as a unified system, giving the hospitals the ability to hire and leverage expertise across markets

“Uniting Livingston Regional Hospital to HighPoint Health System will enhance our ability to serve our communities in many ways,” said Mike Meadows, CEO of Livingston Regional Hospital.  “Our hospital has much in common with the hospitals of HighPoint.  We share a common mission and the same unwavering commitment to provide the highest quality care to our communities.  We will be able to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of services through shared best practices and resources across the four hospitals, which will strengthen our position to grow and expand to meet the healthcare needs of this region in the future.”

The process for completing the consolidation of operations is expected to take approximately two months with a projected completion date of December 1, 2013.  The transition will include organizational and operational improvements, as well as a logo change for LRH that will unite the facility to the HPHS brand.

LRH and the other three HPHS Hospitals will maintain their current hospital facilities and the services currently offered at each location will remain.

Susan Peach will continue to serve as CEO of the combined health system, with Mike Meadows remaining as CEO of Livingston Regional Hospital.