Mercy Iowa City could join UnityPoint

IOWA CITY - Mercy Iowa City announced Monday it could become part of the UnityPoint Health network, a move that allows the small Catholic hospital to operate more efficiently and gain access to larger insurance plans, officials said.

UnityPoint and Mercy Iowa City signed a letter of intent to provide joint health care services in Iowa City.

Mercy Iowa City, a 234-bed hospital, would retain its Catholic affiliation and will stay in Iowa City's Northside neighborhood, but other details have yet to be decided, Mercy Iowa City Spokeswoman Margaret Reese said Monday evening.

Former Mercy Iowa City President and Chief Executive Officer Ronald Reed told The Gazette in December 2015 the hospital was considering joining the Mercy Health Network, which owns hospitals in Des Moines, Dubuque, Clinton, Mason City and Sioux City.

'Both are excellent organizations, but it was decided by the Sisters of Mercy and our board that UnityPoint Health can provide the strategic elements we need more rapidly than the Mercy Health Network,” Reese said Monday.

UnityPoint Health, which provides care across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, operates UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids.

Mercy Iowa City, started by Catholic nuns in 1873, no longer will be sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community, but will retain its Catholic identity through the Davenport Diocese of the Catholic church, according to Sister Laura Reicks, president of the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community.

'This affiliation will ensure that Catholic health care will be available to the Iowa City area for many years to come,” Reicks said in the prepared statement.

Officials with UnityPoint, Mercy Iowa City and the diocese will start working this week on getting appropriate approvals from their respective governing boards and regulatory bodies.

'During due diligence, representatives will learn more about the other organization and work closely to explore options,” the news release stated. 'The agreement will preserve a key role for the local board in the leadership and governance of Mercy Iowa City.”

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