OMAHA, NEB. (JUNE 27, 2019)—The elected members of the Executive Board of the Evangelical Covenant Church voted unanimously today to approve the partnership between NorthShore University HealthSystem and Swedish Covenant Health.
Under the new agreement, Swedish Covenant Health will join NorthShore University HealthSystem and continue to operate Swedish Covenant Hospital, a full-service, acute care community hospital with access to world-class care and capabilities. Each organization will maintain its respective physician and ambulatory care networks while expanding access to innovative patient care models.
Swedish Covenant Health has been serving the North and Northwest Sides of Chicago for the past 133 years and has been an important part of the Evangelical Covenant Church’s Covenant Ministries of Benevolence.
“Covenant Ministries of Benevolence believes the partnership between NorthShore University HealthSystem and Swedish Covenant Health will provide ongoing growth and healthcare services to Chicago’s North Side community,” says Roger Oxendale, president of the Covenant Ministries of Benevolence. “As the services and programs grow, they will also continue to reflect a rich Christian mission.”
The ongoing clinical nursing experiences and practicums for students at North Park University and Swedish Covenant will continue, as will the chaplaincy training program between North Park Theological Seminary and the hospital. Both North Park University and North Park Theological Seminary are ministries of the Evangelical Covenant Church, or Evangelical Covenant Church.
“We are grateful for the mission and ministry of Swedish Covenant Health for the past 133 years, and the Evangelical Covenant Church is very optimistic about the ongoing future of the hospital as it partners with NorthShore,” says Evangelical Covenant Church President John Wenrich. “I want to especially thank Anthony Guaccio, CEO of Swedish Covenant Health, as well as the leadership team, for their focus on maintaining and building programs and services for the greater community. We feel confident the original mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church will continue through this partnership.”
Swedish Covenant Health will continue to provide the full range of comprehensive health and wellness services, including the availability of primary care and specialists and the operation of its acute care hospital, community outreach programs and Chicago’s only certified medical fitness center, Galter LifeCenter.
The hospital’s mission to provide community outreach and care for the underserved, as it has done for more than a century, will remain a priority. The Swedish Covenant Hospital Foundation will continue to operate and fund health and wellness programs, including violence prevention, housing the homeless and dental care. As part of its commitment to the community, NorthShore will make a significant philanthropic contribution to the Swedish Covenant Hospital Foundation. Through this partnership, NorthShore’s research programs, personalized medicine and advanced specialty services will be available to patients at Swedish Covenant Health.
“We have an incredible opportunity to build on the expertise of two experienced institutions with a shared vision and complementary services to create transformative healthcare for the next generation,” said Anthony Guaccio, president and CEO of Swedish Covenant Hospital. “Our partnership with NorthShore will support our ability to continue serving our patients by delivering comprehensive community-based healthcare while also benefiting from the resources and capabilities of a larger health system.”
CONTACTS: Bill Ligas, Swedish Covenant Health, 773-293-8889, BLigas@SwedishCovenant.org
Erin Chan Ding, Executive Director of Communications, The Evangelical Covenant Church, erin.chanding@covchurch.org
