The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., signed a letter of intent to absorb OrthoAspen, which is part of Aspen (Colo.) Valley Hospital, The Aspen Times reports.
Six things to know:
1. AVH and The Steadman Clinic began discussing a partnership earlier this year, hospital officials confirmed to The Aspen Times May 31.
2. OrthoAspen employees were notified about the planned transition May 29.
3. AVH and The Steadman Clinic will be negotiating details over the next few months, including what the hospital's role will be once OrthoAspen is absorbed.
4. They're aiming to have a definitive agreement by late summer and to complete the transition by the end of the year. Staffing details haven't been finalized.
5. OrthoAspen will continue operating as normal while details are being worked out.
6. The goal is to create a "strategic partnership" rather than operate separately, AVH CEO Dave Ressler said.
"We're working to avoid redundancy, so it doesn't really make sense to have two different practices operating at the same time," Mr. Ressler told The Aspen Times. "So, yes, we have talked about there only being one practice which would obviously be The Steadman Clinic. … We thought we could ultimately come out with a better product for our community by working in partnership with them."