title: The lifespan merger sucess story: combining resources to offer better home health services.
abstract: In 1996, "Lifespan" was born when four home care agencies in Battle Creek, Michigan, merged to create a wholly owned subsidiary of the Battle Creek Health System (BCHS), a community health care delivery organization that provides acute care, long-term care, psychological services, outpatient care, home health care, and occupational and business services. By banding together to effect savings through joint contract purchasing and shared services, Lifespan and BCHS have formed a communal relationship that allows the two to offer a seamless continuum of care without establishing wholly discrete organizations. Lifespan has thus been free to independently make mutually beneficial partnerships with an information technology company to enhance patient care services to their clients.
mesh_terms: D032982:Contracts; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006273:Health Facility Merger; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D008824:Michigan; D009935:Organizational Affiliation