Verdugo Hills Hospital in Merger Negotiations

Verdugo Hills Hospital is in merger discussions with larger medical groups in the region, officials told the Glendale News-Press Wednesday. 

In response to healthcare reform legislation, Verdugo Hills Hospital was approached by other hospitals and large medical groups in the community to discuss possible affiliations or merger, Celine Petrossian of Verdugo Hills Hospital said in a prepared statement.  

The hospital is "exploring strategic opportunities for affiliation and partnerships that would improve our ability to meet the challenges of healthcare reform and preserve our future relevancy to the residence of the Foothill communities we serve," Petrossian said. 

"Securing our future insures good stewardship of our responsibility to our donors, our physicians, and our hospital staff, but most importantly, it strengthens our ability to serve our patient community," Petrossian said. 

No potential merger partners or affiliates were released, The News-Press reported.

A phone call and email to Petrossian were not immediately returned to Patch.  

The 158-bed Glendale hospital was established in 1972. 

The hospital's departments include critical care, transitional care, wound care, acute care, a birth center, women's care, gastroenterology, geropsychiatrics, cardiac rehab, orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, a laboratory, medical imaging, surgery, bariatrics and an emergency room.