Hamilton, Kettering hospitals join forces

Fort Hamilton officially becomes seventh hospital in regional health network.

HAMILTON — Kettering Health Network and the Fort Hamilton Hospital have signed a definitive agreement that makes the hospital here the network’s seventh member hospital, KHN announced July 13.

The new affiliation became effective July 1, the start of Fort Hamilton’s fiscal year. Patients should notice no changes in care currently. All insurance options currently offered will remain the same, said Lynn Oswald, senior vice president of Fort Hamilton.

Oswald said the KHN will offer more stability for the community hospital located at 630 Eaton Ave. in Hamilton.

“We’re very excited.... We think we bring a lot to the table and we think we certainly think we are going to benefit from this relationship,” she said. “Patients should know Fort Hamilton will be here in the future, and that is a good thing.”

A new Fort Hamilton Hospital board has been formed with representatives from the existing board and newly appointed KHN members from the community, the network said. The board’s first meeting will be Aug. 4, followed by an integration celebration.

Frank Perez, Kettering Health Network chief executive, said in an announcement the affiliation will allow the network to provide closer access to patients in the Cincinnati-Dayton corridor, which is a growth area.

Plans to pursue this affiliation were first announced in February. Last year, a hospital executive said Fort Hamilton planned to leave the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati to pursue another affiliation.

Fort Hamilton has 175 beds, 1,140 employees and 150 actively practicing physicians.

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