News

Meridian Health Services to acquire medical clinics in area including Bluffton

From, The Journal Gazette: 

Lutheran Health Physicians and two other medical groups on Wednesday announced the sale of eight clinics to Meridian Health Services Corp.

Three Bluffton clinics, two in Peru and one each in Ossian, Warren and Markle are the locations being acquired, a news release said.

Financial terms of the deal, which includes transitioning family medicine and pediatric services, along with providers and staff, are not being disclosed.

The ownership change is expected to occur on or before Nov. 1.

The joint announcement with Meridian Health, based in Muncie, included Lutheran Health Physicians, Bluffton Medical Group and Dukes Medical Group. The clinics are part of the Lutheran Health Network.

The physical location of the eight clinics will remain the same but current providers and staff will then become Meridian Health employees. Lutheran Health spokeswoman Joy Lohse said the clinics currently have a combined 61 physicians, advanced practitioners and staff with 47 in the Bluffton area and 14 in Peru.

“This is good news for our patients, staff and providers, as well as each community, and we know all will be in good hands,” Julie Thompson, chief administrative officer of Bluffton Regional Medical Center, said in a statement.

Meridian has been operating the internal medicine and pediatrics clinics in Bluffton through a lease arrangement with the clinic subsidiary affiliated with the local regional medical center since 2020, the release said.

The hospital-based services of Bluffton Regional Medical Center and Dukes Memorial Hospital are not affected by the sale.

Meridian Health Services is a federally qualified health center, which allows it to offer primary and preventive care services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Patients who are uninsured or underinsured will have access to a sliding fee scale and “charity care” to assure their access to care is not limited, the news release said.

Meridian will be part of the Village Premier development in southeast Fort Wayne with a 9,800-square-food medical clinic that represents a $4.5 million development. A groundbreaking ceremony was held the first week of September. The first phase of Village Premier includes residential development.

David Brooks, chief administrative officer for Dukes Memorial Hospital, said the ownership change will allow the clinics to add services.

Seth Warren, Meridian Health’s president and CEO, looks forward to offering increased access to behavioral and social health services for underserved populations.

“We believe in treating the ‘whole person’ by caring for the physical, mental and social well-being of people to help achieve their optimum health,” Warren said in a statement.

Meridian Health has been providing care for nearly 50 years, combining physical, mental and social well-being services. It operates 57 facilities and offices in Indiana.

Annually, Meridian provides more than $4.2 million in charity care and serves nearly 45,000 patients in Indiana, the news release said.