PinnacleHealth raises its flag at its new hospitals

(Lancaster) — A midstate health system has officially added four hospitals.

PinnacleHealth officials raised flags at three of the hospitals new to its system on Thursday – Lancaster Regional, Heart of Lancaster and York Memorial.

Friday, they’ll cap the events off at Carlisle Regional.

Pinnacle bought all four hospitals from Community Health Systems – a for-profit company.

The price hasn’t been made public.

Studies have shown hospital consolidation – like Pinnacle’s move to add four hospitals across a region – tends to raise health care prices.

PinnacleHealth CEO Phil Guarneschelli says he’s confident they’ll keep things in check.

“What allows that to continue is us working diligently together through supply chain initiatives and other efficiency initiatives to keep that coming to the community,” says Guarneschelli.

Nearly all insurance contracts at the four hospitals will continue, according to a PinnacleHealth spokeswoman.

“We recognize that the cost of health care is on every employee and every employer’s mind these days. We wake up every day and work to deliver the most efficient, highest quality care we can, and we’ll continue down that path,” says Guarneschelli.

Guarneschelli adds that Pinnacle is still working on a deal with Hanover Hospital in York County, along with an affiliation with the powerful UPMC system.