MILWAUKEE and NEENAH, Wis. – [Dec. 19, 2023] – Froedtert Health and ThedaCare announced today they have finalized their agreement to come together as one organization. The combined health system will officially launch Jan. 1, 2024 – a new day for health care in Wisconsin.
“After months of thoughtful work, we’re excited for this journey to begin as a combined health system. This is an important and exciting moment for Wisconsin,” said Cathy Jacobson, president and CEO of Froedtert Health. “As a combined organization, we will continue to strengthen local health care, working closely with the Medical College of Wisconsin.”
“We are confident our combined health system will continue to improve health and well-being for everyone we are privileged to serve, in line with our longstanding commitment to our communities,” said Imran A. Andrabi, MD, FAAFM, ThedaCare president and CEO. “This is just the beginning of an inspired future for health care in Wisconsin.”
The organizations have identified shared aspirations guiding the combination process, including:
• Predict, prevent and add value to contribute to the health and well-being of its communities: The future of medicine is addressing the whole person’s unique needs, including addressing factors that contribute to someone’s overall health to deliver equitable care.
• Provide exceptional safety, reliability, equity, coordination and accessibility for communities in Wisconsin: By creating more seamless ways for clinicians and care teams to deliver care and ways for patients to navigate the health care system, the combined organization can meaningfully improve access, value, outcomes and experience.
• Enhance the Medical College of Wisconsin relationship and amplify its mission: Academic medical centers are uniquely positioned to advance new therapies, evidence based approaches to population health, integrated care delivery models and forward thinking care team models.
As previously shared, following the launch of the combined health system, Froedtert Health President and CEO Cathy Jacobson will initially assume the role of CEO, and ThedaCare President and CEO Imran A. Andrabi, MD, FAAFM, will serve as president. After a six-month transition period, Cathy will retire from the organization with a legacy of steadfast and thoughtful leadership. Upon Cathy’s retirement, Dr. Andrabi will assume the role of president and CEO of the combined organization, leveraging more than 30 years of medical, operational, and strategic expertise and innovative leadership.
Earlier this year, the organization named members of the combined executive team who will work closely with the CEO and president to guide the combined organization forward:
• Amir Ghaferi, MD, President of the Physician Enterprise, South Region
• Ian Schwartz, MD, Chief Clinical Officer
• Susan Campbell, RN, Chief Ambulatory Operations and Service Lines Officer
• Eric Conley, President of the South Region
• Thomas Arquilla, Chief Growth Officer
• David Olson, Chief Business Development Officer
• Steve Basilotto, Chief Experience Officer
• Scott Hawig, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
• Mark Thompson, Chief Transformational Investments and Value Integration Officer
• Caryn Esten, Chief Transformation and Integration Officer
• Maggie Lund, Chief Culture and Integration Officer
• Eric Humphrey, Chief Human Resources Officer
• Paul Van Den Heuvel, Chief Legal Officer
• The chief operating officer position for the combined organization is currently open.
The combined organization expects to name its board in Jan. 2024. As previously shared, the initial chair and vice chair roles of the Board and committees will be equally shared between the parties – the initial board chair will be Jud Snyder, Froedtert Health’s current board chair, and the initial vice chair will be Jim Kotek, ThedaCare’s current board chair.
“This combination is an important advancement for health care in Wisconsin,” said Snyder. “We have long thought about how we can best serve the people of Wisconsin, and with this next milestone achieved, we are ready to come together as one organization to improve health and well-being.”
“As we enter the new year together, we have much to look forward to as we continue planning for how our combined organization can improve delivery of health care in our state, including access, clinical excellence, health equity and more,” said Kotek.
The trusted brand names of each organization will continue. Planning will continue throughout 2024 and beyond to solidify how the combined organization will operate.
Patients can continue seeing their providers and accessing the services they always have. The community can continue to visit WIcareWIroots.com, an informational site dedicated to providing updates on the combination.
About Froedtert Health
Froedtert Health is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based, integrated health care system providing a variety of health-related services, including hospitals and health centers, home care, laboratory, health insurance, employer health services and workplace clinics, and digital health solutions. For more information, visit froedtert.com.
About ThedaCare
For nearly 114 years, ThedaCare® has been committed to improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves in Northeast and Central Wisconsin. The organization delivers care to more than 650,000 residents in 17 counties and employs approximately 7,000 providers and team members. ThedaCare has 180 points of care, including eight hospitals. As an organization committed to being a leader in Population Health, team members are dedicated to empowering people to live their unique, best lives. ThedaCare also partners with communities to understand needs, finding solutions together, and encouraging health awareness and action. For more information, visit thedacare.org.
