Two of four health systems in the Fort Washington, Pa.-based Noble Health Alliance recently announced mergers, but they will not affect Noble's growing accountable care organization, according to Philadelphia Business Journal.
Abington (Pa.) Health, a founding system of the network, signed a letter of intent last month to merge with Jefferson Health System, based in Radnor, Pa. Another founding system, Crozer-Keystone Health System, based in Delaware County, Pa., announced it was exploring options that include a merger, according to the report.
Abington Health and Crozer-Keystone, with Philadelphia health systems Einstein Healthcare Network and Aria Health, agreed to be Noble ACO providers through 2017, according to the report.
"We understand our founding health systems must continue to adapt, and we consider these proposed changes as opportunities for Noble to expand its own network and services," Patrick Young, Noble's chairman and CEO, said in the report. "We think there are real opportunities for us to be a larger organization."
The Noble Health Alliance recently partnered with health IT firm Lumeris to collect and analyze clinical outcomes and partnered with Independence Blue Cross to provide health benefits plans to employees.
The Noble Health Alliance has about 1,800 primary care physicians and specialists.
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