Rush Health Systems has officially merged with Ochsner Health, becoming Ochsner Rush Health.

Monday’s announcement is a conclusion of the process that began with a letter of intent to merge in June 2021, according to a news release. 

“This is an exciting time for our community, and we are proud to be the trusted healthcare provider of the region. As Ochsner Rush Health, our patients will benefit from the skills and experience of both teams with enhanced access to new services and highly specialized care,” Larkin Kennedy, CEO Ochsner Rush Health said in the release. “By coming together, we’ll be able to do more to enhance and expand clinical services focused on the critical needs of the communities we serve while ensuring our patients have access to local, high-quality care for generations to come.”

Ochsner Rush Health will anchor services in the east Mississippi/west Alabama region for Ochsner Health.

Updated names and branding to reflect the new organization and its enhanced capabilities will also be rolled out at regional hospitals:

•Ochsner Rush Medical Center

•Ochsner Specialty Hospital

•Ochsner Choctaw General

•Ochsner Scott Regional

•Ochsner Laird Hospital

•Ochsner Stennis Hospital

•Ochsner Watkins Hospital

According to the news release, Ochsner Rush Health is working to expand existing programs and offer new services for the patients across the region.

Employees of Ochsner Rush Health are benefitting from an increase in minimum wage to $12 per hour now that the merger is complete. This move impacts more than 400 employees and represents an investment of at least $1.5 million in the people who play vital roles within the health system, the news release said. 

“We are committed to continuing the 100-year legacy of Rush Health Systems’ founders and are truly excited that they have joined the Ochsner family. We look forward to building upon the work Rush has done to improve care in Mississippi and Alabama. Together, we are combining our strengths to lead healthcare innovation in the Gulf South,” Warner Thomas, President and CEO, Ochsner Health, said in the release. “Technology and integration are critically important in today’s healthcare environment. Maintaining a shared focus on opportunities will strengthen our organization and ensure Ochsner Rush Health’s ability to provide care for future generations.”

Ochsner Rush Health will focus on the following to benefit patients, including:

•Expanded access to specialty and sub-specialty services so that more patients can receive the care they need closer to home, including cardiology, neurology and highly specialized stroke care, women’s services, cancer treatment and surgical oncology.

•Innovation in healthcare delivery through Ochsner’s expanded technological and digital capabilities, including expansions in telehealth, digital monitoring and clinical improvements guided by artificial intelligence.

•Access to Ochsner’s robust clinical research network, one of the largest in the Gulf South, so Ochsner Rush Health patients will be able to participate in groundbreaking, novel therapies, including the latest in cancer treatment, close to home.

•More efficient, affordable care through the sharing of best practices and resources. Economies of scale will allow Ochsner to find efficiencies throughout the system, and then invest more in programs and resources locally. 

“For decades, our organizations have benefited from a strong relationship, dating back to when Dr. Leslie V. Rush, Sr. hosted Dr. Alton Ochsner as a guest speaker at several special events. We are thrilled to bring the talent and knowledge of our physicians and providers together to benefit patients so that we can provide even more services for patients in east Mississippi and west Alabama,” said Ochsner Chief Medical Officer Robert Hart, M.D.

Ochsner Rush Health is governed by a board comprised of local community members, a local physician and representatives from Ochsner Health.

Ochsner Rush Health medical staff will continue to be comprised of employed and independent physicians. All medical staff retain existing privileges as part of Ochsner Rush Health, and patients may continue to use existing insurance at all facilities.