A strategic alliance announced Thursday between UAB Health System and Ascension St. Vincents cleared a hurdle Friday as the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved the alliance at a special meeting.

But the exact details of how the alliance will work are still somewhat of a mystery.

The move, while not a merger, means that UABHS facilities will retain the UABHS or UAB Medicine brands, and Ascension St. Vincents facilities will be Ascension St. Vincents.

In announcing the alliance, the two entities said they will be able to address multiple health issues, including diabetes, mental and behavioral health, and expand access to healthcare for Alabamas poor and rural residents. Among the documents creating the alliance is an acknowledgement of now being a period of profound and unprecedented change in the health care industry, when providers create health care affiliations in order to preserve and enhance their ability to fulfill their missions.

However, the alliance will not change physicians or insurance coverage for patients, organizers say, and medical records are still accessible through existing patient portals. How certain factors will affect individual patients, such as insurance coverage and available networks, are still being considered. The alliance also calls for the formation of a joint operating company.

Nick Ragone, an executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Ascension, said the company has no further comment at this time beyond its initial release and a website which answers some questions and gives details of the agreement. The site says more information will be shared there as it becomes available.

One point in the information available is that both organizations mean to maintain their corporate personalities. Ascension St. Vincents remains a ministry of the Catholic Church, and will continue to follow the churchs "Ethical and Religious Directives. UABHS is still an academic medical center with public, charitable and research functions.

The president of the joint operating company will be UAB Health System CEO Will Ferniany. Jason Alexander, who is senior vice president of Ascension Health and the CEO of St. Vincents Health System and Providence Health System, will serve as executive vice president of the joint operating company.

However, according to the agreement, after the closing of the joint operating companys creation, a board vote will be required to appoint a new CEO or executive vice president of the joint operating company. Whoever that president is, it will be a senior executive at UAB Health System, while the executive vice president will be a senior executive at Ascension St. Vincents.

And its clear from the affiliation agreement paperwork that this is a major commitment. Both parties are required to maintain the alliance until its 30-year anniversary, unless they can show cause.

UAB spokesman Bob Shepard said the alliance will allow the health systems to provide the right care at the right place and right time for each individual.

This may include developing programs at the facility that best meets the needs of patients and communities, Shepard said. Both health systems will be able to provide better access for patients through working together. For example, patients will also have more accessible locations for UABHS specialty services, such as UABHS doing surgery at Ascension St. Vincents One Nineteen. We will be evaluating the best means of coordinating psychiatric, rehabilitation, and other services across our facilities.

Shepard said details will still have to be worked out, but the alliance will allow for better coordination of programs and increase patient access to diabetes and mental health care services.

For instance, Ascension St. Vincents and UABHS have an aligned vision for the support of health care in rural Alabama, and this alliance will allow us to leverage our collaborative network and a combined Community Needs Assessment to enhance services in rural areas, he said. Other entities could be involved in these efforts as well.

The UA System Trustees at their meeting Friday also approved incorporating a seven-member UAB Health System Authority to work with the alliance. The authority will have the power to appoint the majority of the members to the joint operating companys board.

The alliance includes for Ascension:

And for UAB:

While the Cooper Green Authority initiative is not part of the alliance, organizers say, operations will be coordinated to enhance services for Cooper Green patients.

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What will UAB-Ascension alliance mean? - AL.com