The University of Rochester Medical Center is gaining another affiliate, this time in the Finger Lakes.
Consolidation among hospital systems has been a trend nationwide in recent years for a variety of factors, and locally, the major hospital systems have affiliated with smaller hospital operations in a number of instances.
That now includes the University of Rochester Medical Center and Finger Lakes Health, which operates Geneva General Hospital and Soldiers & Sailors Memorial hospital in Penn Yan. Finger Lakes will officially join the health system led by URMC on August 1.
Dr. Mark Taubman is president and CEO for URMC, and he says the affiliation will help both hospital systems with a number of issues, including freeing up beds.
“It’s great for the people of Geneva, it’s great for this hospital, it’s great for jobs and it serves that purpose of allowing us to accept patients that can only be treated at the University of Rochester Medical Center,” said Taubman.
Dr. Jose Acevedo, President and CEO of Finger Lakes Health, said that it helps his hospital system expand services.
“One of the initiatives is continue bringing more specialty care at Soldiers and Sailors , so following that trend, provide more specialty care locally, so people don’t have to commute all the way to Rochester,” said Acevedo.
Officials said the Geneva General and Soldiers & Sailors will retain local governance by community boards. Acevedo will continue overseeing all administrative operations and patient services provided by the new affiliate, which will be known as UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health.