Woodland Centers merging with Hopewell Health Centers

SOUTHEAST OHIO – Woodland Centers, Inc. and Hopewell Health Centers, Inc. are pleased to announce their merger which will be effective January 1, 2018. The new organization will continue to be called Hopewell Health Centers. Mark Bridenbaugh, current CEO of Hopewell will continue to act in this role after the merger. Kevan Mock, current CEO of Woodland, will become the Associate CEO of Hopewell Health Centers.

According to Bridenbaugh, talks between the two organizations have been going on the last year; “A little over a year ago, we started talking about ways we could utilize services from each other. We quickly realized that our services are complementary and cover much of the same service area, so it turned into a higher level discussion.” Woodland and Hopewell provide overlapping services in the counties of Meigs, Jackson, and Vinton counties. Through an analysis of both organizations it was determined that together they could better the community as a single entity.

Mock said that a merger often means that one of the parties involved is in trouble and needs help, but that this isn’t the case in this merger; “As we met to discuss services and programs that each agency provided, and how we could work together to bring these resources together to help those we serve, we quickly saw the potential for opportunity for doing even more. It is exciting that our organizations have a shared vision, mission, and desire to come together and provide better care for our clients and our communities!”

However, current clients of Woodland Centers and Hopewell Health Centers will experience no interruption of their services. Current Woodland staff will continue to provide all of the same services in their respective counties; current Hopewell staff will do the same. Once the merger is complete, the previous Woodland sites will be incorporated into Hopewell’s electronic medical records so there is one unified clinical record for all clients. Over time, services will be integrated across all sites to include behavioral health, primary care, dentistry, early childhood development and mental health, and transportation.

The merged organization will offer integrated care in Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Meigs, Perry, Ross, Vinton, and Washington Counties. It will provide services for all age groups and will have over 600 employees. Hopewell accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurances. For people without insurance, a sliding free based on family income is available.

Through this merger, Woodland Centers and Hopewell Health Centers hope to realize the vision of “A community where everyone enjoys a healthy body, mind, and spirit.”