WVU Health System completed its acquisition of Independence Health System’s five western Pennsylvania hospitals on Oct. 1, bringing Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland hospitals, and their affiliated physician practices and outpatient facilities, under the WVU Medicine brand. The hospitals collectively have 925 beds, nearly 7,000 employees, and more than 1,000 physicians and advanced-practice providers.

The closing announcement confirms an $800 million investment commitment over five years, including modernization of Butler Memorial’s emergency department and Westmoreland’s campus, expanded clinical services and improved access to care. The commitment is planned investment in the hospitals; the announcement does not identify it as the acquisition price. WVU’s earlier definitive agreement announcement also identified a new EMR system among the planned improvements.

The acquisition expands WVU Health System to 30 hospitals across West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland, with more than 47,000 employees and approximately $10 billion in total operating revenue. The five newly acquired hospitals serve approximately 750,000 people across more than 10 Pennsylvania counties.