Baptist Health (formerly Baptist Healthcare System) announced today that Trover Health System is joining Baptist as its eighth hospital in the state. Effective Nov. 1, Trover Health System will become Baptist Health Madisonville.

Trover – located in Madisonville – began exclusive discussions with Baptist nearly a year ago after selecting Baptist from proposals submitted by several healthcare organizations. LifePoint Hospitals and Owensboro Medical Health System were also considered as finalists in the process. Each finalist was selected based on its ability to assist Trover with the design and implementation of new models of care and payment reform, access to capital, experience with recruiting physicians and building solid physician relationships, and developing service line partnerships. After an extensive evaluation process, Baptist was chosen as the system of choice by the Trover Board of Directors.

“We couldn’t have chosen a finer addition to our already strong, statewide network of hospitals,” said Baptist Health President and CEO Tommy J. Smith. “And we’re equally proud that Trover chose Baptist when looking for a partner. Through the combined resources of these longstanding healthcare institutions, we will both benefit from a shared focus on putting patient care first through strategic partnerships with our physicians.”

“This is a monumental day in the history of healthcare in Hopkins County and the surrounding communities,” said E. Berton Whitaker, President and CEO of Baptist Health Madisonville. “By joining the Baptist Health family, we are positioning our health system to address the ever-changing needs of providing healthcare in the years to come. Both Trover and Baptist value our patients, our employees and our communities. We share common missions and our culture and tradition of community service are well aligned so that together, we can build upon and further strengthen the depth and breadth of the services provided by our organization.”

Plans are already underway which demonstrate the benefits of the relationship. In response to the community’s growing need for primary care physicians, Baptist Health Madisonville is actively recruiting for internal medicine and family practice physicians. Renovations also are planned for the Mother/Baby Unit, Emergency Department and Same Day Surgery, in addition to updates to other areas of the hospital. There will be an emphasis on updating healthcare technology and facilities at the Madisonville campus, while Baptist Health also offers access to a statewide network of hospitals, outpatient facilities and physicians ready to respond to patients’ needs.

In addition to Baptist Health Madisonville, Baptist Health includes Baptist Hospital East (Louisville), Baptist Hospital Northeast (La Grange), Baptist Regional Medical Center (Corbin), Central Baptist Hospital (Lexington), Western Baptist Hospital (Paducah), Oak Tree Hospital at Baptist Regional Medical Center, and its newest addition, Baptist Health Richmond. Baptist Health also manages Hardin Memorial Hospital in Elizabethtown and Russell County Hospital in Russell Springs.

Baptist Healthcare System, founded in 1924, announced its new name as Baptist Health on September 5. The new name unifies the family of hospitals and health-related entities and helps to better align medical expertise, services and resources to provide a continuum of care throughout the state.