Independence Health System officially joins WVU Health System
Nearly a year after West Virginia University Health System and Independence Health System announced plans to join forces, the two health systems have officially become one Thursday, Oct. 1 under the WVU Medicine name.
The finalized agreement will bring Independence Health System’s five Western Pennsylvania hospitals — Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland — along with its affiliated physician groups and other subsidiaries into the WVU Health System.
The systems first announced the planned combination on Nov. 19, 2025, and signed a definitive agreement in June.
WVU Medicine has stated it plans to commit $800 million over five years to modernize Independence’s hospitals, expand clinical services and increase access to care across Western Pennsylvania, making Butler Memorial Hospital one of its “tertiary hubs” for health care.
“This marks an exciting and important moment for these hospitals and the communities they serve as they join our network of care across the region,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System, said. “We are grateful to the board members and leaders of these hospitals for placing their trust in us to build upon their success and create new opportunities for growth. We take that responsibility seriously.”
When the two health systems signed the letter of intent, investments were earmarked for an expansion of the Butler Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, as well as its women’s health services, according to Wright.
“We don’t want to disrupt operations,” Wright said at that time. “We want to have a couple projects where we put a couple shovels in the ground in October of this year to show communities how serious we are about creating even better healthcare in Butler County and all the places we will be operating in.”
Another component is an overhaul of the system’s electronic health records. According to the letter of intent for the transaction, WVU Medicine has committed $80 million to install a new health records system from Epic Systems.
“What we are going to do is try and make sure BMH is as comprehensive as it can be for the community,” Wright said. “That includes enhanced cardiac procedures or advanced neuro procedures or spine care. Also, our cancer capabilities and clinical trials so folks don’t have to go to Pittsburgh or Morgantown. Those are the things we are really going to start to look at.”
WVU Medicine will assume all of Independence’s current debts. According to previous interviews with Ken DeFurio, president and CEO of Independence Health System, the debt sits at around $110 million.
WVU Medicine now has more than 47,000 employees, of which 7,200 are providers and $10 billion in total operating revenues. It’s anchored by an 890-bed academic medical center and the 150-bed WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The letter of intent states that all employees will have their position guaranteed for a year once the merger goes through.
According to DeFurio, the partnership will give the ability to partner with Peak Health, a nonprofit health insurance provider partially owned by WVU Medicine. Up until the acquisition was completed, Independence had not been integrated with a health insurance provider.
Wright said there isn’t a big secret to making rural healthcare successful, as it involves simply committing resources — both capital and with employees — to make sure residents have the best healthcare available.
“We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t have a growth mindset,” Wright said. “We are not coming up to shrink these facilities and lay people off or cut services. I’m sure once they see the investments being made both capital and physicians recruitment, I think any concerns they have will fade away.”
Patients can visit WVUMedicine.org/WesternPA for answers to frequently asked questions about the transition.
