Nick Muscavage

@nmuscavage

The combined entity will employ more than 33,000 team members and over 7,000 physicians.

The merged networks will consist of 15 hospitals throughout the state.

The hospitals include Raritan Bay Medical Centers in Perth Amboy and Old Bridge and JFK Medical Center in Edison.

EDISON - Nearly six months after the two health networks announced their merger, Edison-based JFK Health and Hackensack Meridian signed a definitive agreement to merge.

The definitive agreement came after a review of clinical, regulatory, service and financial issues that began after the merge was announced in November. The agreement between the two chains of hospitals now has to undergo regulatory review with the state attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission.

“JFK Health and Hackensack Meridian Health share a common mission and commitment to quality. From our partnerships in rehabilitation and home care, we have a long history together and are both dedicated to providing the very best patient experience,” said John Lloyd, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, in a news release Tuesday. “As a new and growing organization, we have an incredible opportunity to transform health care and provide residents with greater access to care.”

Officials at the two hospital networks said they are eager to expand their population health services and provide more care outside of hospitals to the communities they serve and are also excited that more cancer patients will be treated through Hackensack Meridian's partnership with Sloan Kettering Memorial.

The combined entity will employ more than 33,000 team members and over 7,000 physicians, according to the release.

"Hackensack Meridian is able to help us fulfill our vision to continue to grow and continue to provide services to the community," said Raymond Fredericks, president and CEO of JFK Health, adding that Hackensack Meridian has numerous initiatives and programs that will benefit JFK Health.

One that comes to mind, he said, is Hackensack Meridian's partnership with Sloan Kettering Memorial for cancer care.

Without Hackensack Meridian, "we wouldn't have had that relationship," Fredericks said. "This will provide a great opportunity for our communities to get that same level of care here in Central New Jersey."

"JFK would have never been able — as a standalone community hospital — to do that," he added.

"If you're a cancer patient in Central New Jersey in the JFK area, with our Hackensack Meridian partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering, you will now have access to what is over 1,000 clinical trials," said Robert Garrett, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian. "The idea is to bring that world-class cancer care closer to people's homes and communities. That's just one very tangible benefit of this partnership."

The merger announcement between JFK Health and Hackensack Meridian in November came shortly after another amalgamation of hospital giants. In June, Meridian Health and Hackensack University Health Network announced a merger that gave the combined hospital network 13 hospitals in the state with about 6,000 affiliated physicians and 28,000 employees, and $4.3 billion in revenue.

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With the addition of JFK Health, Hackensack Meridian Health will consist of 15 hospitals throughout the state, including academic medical centers Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack and Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. Its children's hospitals will include Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack and K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune.

The group's community hospitals will include Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy; Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge; JFK Medical Center in Edison; Ocean Medical Center in Brick; Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank; Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair; Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen; Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin; Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel; and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood.

In addition, the merger will result in a network of physician practices, ambulatory surgery centers, home care, long-term care and assisted living facilities, ambulance services, outpatient centers, and fitness and wellness centers.

Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey, senior vice president at JFK Health, did not respond to requests for comment.

More outside treatment

Population health is another initiative that the merged hospital networks will be looking to expand upon.

"The future is less patients in the hospital, more patients treated outside of the hospital," Lloyd said. "That's expertise we've developed over many years."

JFK Health and Hackensack Meridian have worked together for more than two decades with a joint venture in rehab in Ocean County.

Hackensack Meridian has numerous facilities and services focusing on these efforts in Monmouth and Ocean counties, and the expansion of these programs in Middlesex County and Central Jersey is something that the hospital networks could be looking to pursue in the future.

"We want to replicate that elsewhere because that's the future," Lloyd said.

When the merger was originally announced, officials at JFK Health said that the mixed-use residential project at JFK Health's Muhlenberg campus in Plainfield will still be pursued after the merger. The Muhlenberg Foundation endowment will still be used to fund the programs in Plainfield, such as the emergency room, the Plainfield Health Connection and the Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools.

"We're all working very closely with the City of Plainfield to redevelop the property," Fredericks said. There are currently offers by redevelopers to buy the property from JFK Health. The developers would then work with Plainfield officials on the development.

"JFK has committed to staying in Plainfield," he said, noting that the satellite emergency room, nursing schools and the Plainfield Health Connection that are all run by JFK Health in Plainfield. Those services, and others, will continue in Plainfied, he said.

"The merger between JFK Health Systems and Hackensack Meridian has been in the works for several months," said Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp. "It is my understanding that there is no foreseeable complication to prevent it moving ahead. However, negotiating federal and state regulations will require at least six or more months to finalize the deal."

"It is my expectation that Plainfield will have moved ahead with the redevelopment plans for the Muhlenberg campus by the time this deal is made official," he continued. "Regardless of whether this is the case or not, I believe this merger can only lead to enhanced healthcare services at the Muhlenberg campus. Whatever stage the project is in at the time of finalization, I look forward to continued conversations with the new owners of the Muhlenberg campus and fully anticipate moving forward as planned."

Officials at Hackensack Meridian are looking forward to the addition of JFK Health to their hospital network and how it will benefit the communities they serve.

"We're very excited," Garrett said. "We think this is going to be a great thing for both of our organizations and a great thing for the communities, and really for the state of New Jersey as we'll be able to expand upon JFK's world class facilities and world class services."

Staff Writer Nick Muscavage: 908-243-6615; ngmuscavage@gannettnj.com