04/01/09: Hospital Life Support. Sisters-St. Joseph’s Hospital Merger

Original YNN Buffalo Air Date: 04/01/09
The statues are in place at Saint Joseph Hospital. But there is a sign that there’s a change ahead. Saint Joseph merged with Sisters Hospital in Buffalo. The two medical campuses joined under the same umbrella to keep Saint Joseph operating. Staff and services will remain. Insurance used at both hospitals will be honored. The medical billing and records are being housed at Sisters Hospital in Buffalo.
“The nearest hospital would be ECMC or Sister’s Hospital,” said volunteer Daniel Piotrowski. “A lot of people don’t want to go downtown. They like the hospital here.”
When the state wanted to pull the plug, the Catholic Hospital Systems worked with Cheektowaga community leaders to keep Saint Joseph on life support. Sisters hospital’s president says business boomed at Saint Joseph in the months leading up to the merger.
“The hospital has been full and the emergency room has been doing great. I couldn’t imagine if this resource were taken away from the community,” said Peter Bergmann Sisters of Charity Hospital president.