A proposed merger between Union Hospital and Regional looms over recent advances in health care in the Wabash Valley.
In September 2023, Union Health announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Terre Haute Regional Hospital, a deal that would include Regional’s related businesses, physician clinic operations and outpatient services. An application for a Certificate of Public Advantage, or COPA, was received by the The Indiana Department of Health this past August.
COPAs pertaining to the merger of trauma hospitals within rural counties were established via legislation by the Indiana General Assembly in 2021 and 2022.
Public comment on the proposed merger was accepted through Sept. 6 and can be seen at bit.ly/3YX7vgv.
On Sept. 5, the Federal Trade Commission issued a statement asking IDOH to deny the merger request, saying the COPA “could shield the proposed merger from antitrust scrutiny, leading to a deal that would likely impose higher costs and could lead to worse health care outcomes for Indiana patients, as well as lower wage growth for hospital workers.”
Furthermore, the FTC stated that the merger “raises substantial risk of serious competitive harm and there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the potential harms from the merger would outweigh the claimed potential benefits.”
The commission observed, “The FTC has a long history of advocating against the use of COPAs … due to concerns that COPAs facilitate hospital consolidation and substantially reduce competition in health care markets.”
The FTC’s vote to submit the staff comment to IDOH was 5-0.
Union responded with a statement of its own. It cited IDOH’s dispiriting statistics on health in Vigo County, including ranking 68th among 92 counties in terms of life expectancy and 54th in adult obesity.
“Despite the presence of hospital competition in our community, these rankings indicate that existing health care structures have not adequately benefited our residents,” Union’s statement read in part. “The proposed merger between Union Health and Regional Hospital represents a bold, innovative approach to addressing these persistent health disparities.”
Union’s statement also said, “We are committed to the well-being of our community, making affordable and quality care essential.”
Elsewhere in Terre Haute, Rose-Hulman Ventures announced that it will be a central part of Innovation Grove. Its work is primarily focused on project development for clients in the medical device field, rather than medical research, said Dale Long, Rose-Hulman’s executive editor and director of media relations.
Rose-Hulman has partnered with Union Health and The Indiana Joint Replacement Institute in Innovation Grove to construct a state-of-the-art outpatient surgery center. IJRI’s CEO is Dr. Michael Meneghini, a Rose-Hulman alumnus.
Another Rose-Hulman Ventures collaborator is FetTech, the brainchild of Clay and Danielle Fette, a chemical engineer and a registered nurse, respectively. Together, they work on StemSys, which has created a wound powder used to help the body’s own healing capabilities to recover from burns, traumatic injuries, chronic wounds and impacts from surgery, as well as other medical technologies.
Rose-Hulman Ventures also partnered with Rip Ranger Inc. to create “A Vape to Quit Vaping.” Rip Ranger founder Phil Tran was once a vape addict himself.
NICO Corp. is working with Rose-Hulman Ventures to assist on neurosurgical procedures, including a minimally invasive system that allows neurosurgeons to access the part of the brain with little disruption to healthy brain tissue along the path.
Respiratory technology is being researched by Engineered Medical Systems with an assist from Rose-Hulman Ventures.
More information is available at rhventures.org. Groundbreaking for the Innovation Grove campus is scheduled for Oct. 3.
Horizon Health added a number of services over the past year. It has two locations in Terre Haute — the Terre Haute Specialty Clinic and Sycamore Pain and Wellness, as well as a hospital, a clinic and corporate offices in Paris, Illinois and EZ Care in Marshall, Illinois, with other locations in the Wabash Valley.
Among its advances, the Horizon Health Dialysis Center expanded its hours of operation in August, with the Dialysis Center now open six days a week — Monday through Saturday. Adding three additional days per week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) will help ensure all patients receive the treatment they need, said Rachel Kelley, Horizon Health vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer.
Horizon Health offered an 18-week iEMT-Basic certification course. That course cost $950, and a 10-week first responder certification course offered by Horizon in February charged $300. Free CPR classes were available from Horizon in February and June.
In July, Horizon Health Emergency Medical Services began offering a free service to Edgar and Clark County residents called Hero Helper. The program helps emergency crews quickly identify whether a home or vehicle emergency involves a person with special needs so they can respond accordingly. Emergency responders can face unique challenges when attending to children and adults who have special needs.
Also in July, Horizon Health expanded its urology team by adding certified urology nurse practitioner Melissa Thomas to its team, which diagnoses and treats conditions that affect the male and female urinary tract, as well as the male reproductive organs. It provides surgical and non-surgical solutions for kidney/bladder stones and cancers, urinary tract infections, overactive bladder, enlarged prostate, chronic pelvic pain and more.
Horizon Health expanded its Senior Care sector in March with a new social worker, Casey Simpson.
Horizon Health also offered an eight-week grief support group for people who have lost a loved one in March, May, July and September.
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