The CEOs of the two institutions, who spoke at a news conference Thursday afternoon at Temple's medical school, used the word historic to describe their union. Outside health-care experts agreed with them.
"It is a blockbuster," said Alan Zuckerman, president of Health Strategies & Solutions in Philadelphia. It is big news, he said, for Fox Chase to give up its independence and for Temple's cancer program to go from "nothing to world-class in 60 seconds. . . ."
"It is in many ways a very remarkable development, and it is a sign of the times," he said, adding that he expected to see a national wave of unusual mergers.
Corporate cultures
While the alliance has the potential to improve cancer care in the region, Zuckerman said the tricky part, and one that causes many marriages of this sort to founder, would be merging the two corporate cultures effectively.
Larry Kaiser, president and CEO of the Temple system, described the agreement as a "win, win, win" for patients and both institutions.
Fox Chase CEO Michael Seiden, who said he would be staying on, called the affiliation "logical, additive, synergistic." He said his primary concern in deciding on the deal was whether it would "help us prevail over cancer."
Fox Chase and Jeanes will share a 47-acre campus. Fox Chase, which has made several unsuccessful attempts to expand, will grow by taking over about 30,000 square feet of unused clinical space at Jeanes, which is next door and linked with Fox Chase by a bridge.
Fox Chase's 100 double rooms will eventually be transformed into 100 single rooms at the two hospitals. Jeanes currently operates 176 patient beds.
