LifeBridge Health Acquires Carroll Hospital Center

BALTIMORE — LifeBridge Health, a health organization based in Baltimore, has acquired Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster, Md. The deal will help with future hospital construction and renovation projects as well as the development and expansion of medical services.

Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster, Md., became a subsidiary of LifeBridge Health on April 1. Under the agreement, LifeBridge will invest $250 million towards facility construction and renovations, which will help expand the hospital’s specialty areas, including cardiovascular, cancer, hospice/home care, surgery, women and infants, and outpatient services. LifeBridge will also make a $50 million contribution to Carroll Hospital Center’s endowment fund, which pays for patient care, scholarships, community education and other community benefit-related programs.

“Our hospital has been a cornerstone of the Carroll County community for more than 50 years,” said Leslie Simmons, president and CEO of Carroll Hospital Center, in a statement. “When developing our Vision 2020 plan, we firmly concluded a strategic partnership was the best path forward for the next 50 years. LifeBridge Health’s shared vision and willingness to collaborate with us is energizing. I am extremely excited about our agreement and future together.”

Carroll Hospital Center and its affiliates will remain nonprofit under the affiliation with LifeBridge Health. Also, representatives of Carroll Hospital Center will now comprise 25 percent of the LifeBridge Health board of directors, with representation on each system committee.

Over the next few months, the leadership will meet with physicians, nurses, staff and community organizations to discuss the new alliance and identify initial priorities to enhance the delivery of health care services.

“At LifeBridge Health, our philosophy has been to build on the strengths and local expertise of our hospitals, while providing them with the resources and efficiencies of a larger medical system,” said Neil Meltzer, president and CEO of LifeBridge Health, in a statement. Through the LifeBridge Health affiliation, the people of Carroll County will have access to expanded health services that build on Carroll Hospital Center’s already strong foundation with expanded access to high-quality specialists and the convenience of a hospital and affiliates that are already integral parts of their community.

LifeBridge Health has several other hospital affiliates, including Sinai Hospital in Baltimore; Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, Md.; and Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital in Baltimore.