LifeBridge Health and Carroll Hospital Center Announce Plans for Finalization of Affiliation Agreement

Baltimore and Westminster, Maryland - March 27, 2015. Members of Carroll County Health Services Corporation, parent company of Carroll Hospital Center, today voted to approve an affiliation agreement with LifeBridge Health to offer new services and expanded care for the people of Carroll County and the greater Baltimore region. With the signing of final documents next week, Carroll Hospital Center will become a subsidiary of LifeBridge Health. The affiliation will take effect April 1, 2015.

With the agreement, LifeBridge Health has made a commitment to implement Carroll Hospital Center's strategic plan to grow and advance in areas like cardiovascular, cancer, hospice/home care, surgery, women and infants and outpatient services. LifeBridge will invest $250 million in capital at Carroll Hospital Center, including facility construction and renovation as well as the development and expansion of medical services. LifeBridge Health will build on Carroll Hospital Center's commitment to the people of Carroll County, ensuring that residents have access to a vibrant acute care hospital offering a wide range of medical specialties, services and community physicians.

"Our hospital has been a cornerstone of the Carroll County community for more than 50 years," says Leslie Simmons, president and CEO of Carroll Hospital Center. "When developing our Vision 2020 plan, we firmly concluded a strategic partnership was the best path forward for the next 50 years. LifeBridge Health's shared vision and willingness to collaborate with us is energizing. I am extremely excited about our agreement and future together."

Carroll Hospital Center will maintain its board of directors. The LifeBridge Health chief executive officer and chair of the LifeBridge Health board of directors will join that board, as well as the board of the Carroll Hospital Center Foundation. These local boards will oversee the operations of Carroll Hospital Center and the Carroll Hospital Center Foundation.

"At LifeBridge Health, our philosophy has been to build on the strengths and local expertise of our hospitals, while providing them with the resources and efficiencies of a larger medical system. Through the LifeBridge Health affiliation, the people of Carroll County will have access to expanded health services that build on Carroll Hospital Center's already strong foundation with expanded access to high quality specialists and the convenience of a hospital and affiliates that are already integral parts of their community," says Neil Meltzer, president and CEO of LifeBridge Health.

In order to support the mission of Carroll Hospital Center and its other charitable affiliates, LifeBridge Health will also make a $50 million contribution to the endowment fund of the Carroll Hospital Center Foundation. The income generated from the endowment helps to fund patient care, scholarships, community education and other community benefit related programs.

Carroll Hospital Center and its affiliates remain nonprofit under the affiliation with LifeBridge Health. Also, representatives of Carroll Hospital Center will now comprise 25 percent of the LifeBridge Health board of directors, with representation on each system committee.

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