During the Holzer Formal Announcement Ceremony held on Friday in celebration of the Holzer Heath Systems and Holzer Clinic merger, a new Holzer Heath System logo was unveiled by long-time Holzer board member and community member Evan Davis and guest of honor Bobbi Holzer (pictured).

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GALLIPOLIS — “Holzer Health Systems and Holzer Clinic have supported generations of families here in this area. We have always been united by a common goal, but today we’re united as a common organization,” Brent Saunders, Chairman, Holzer Health System Board of Directors, commented during the Holzer Merger Formal Announcement Ceremony held on Friday in Gallipolis.

During the event, dignitaries and community members from throughout the region filed onto the grounds of the Gallipolis branch to celebrate the completion of the integration process of Holzer Clinic and Holzer Consolidated Health Systems.

“Over a century ago, health care in southern Ohio had a humble beginning with a seven-bed hospital at 507 Second Avenue. The Holzer legacy continues today. We practice Dr. Holzer, Sr., and Dr. Holzer, Jr.’s philosophy: ‘the patient is the center of all we do,’” Saunders said. “As our system continues to grow our services, we’ll remember the past, celebrate our present accomplishments and look forward to what the future holds. Officially, the entities are one Holzer family, as it was in the beginning, and, once again, today, we can say, ‘one dream, one team, one Holzer.’”

T. Wayne Munro, MD, Chief Executive Office, Holzer Health System, also commented during the event.

“Holzer Health System is the largest in the region, bringing together the best minds from both organizations to share the best practices and work together to enhance the caliber and scope of services to the region,” Munro stated. “We now encompass physicians, specialists and higher-level medical services so your family can receive all of their high-quality health care services from one system. This provides sovereignty of care and raises quality and convenience. In essence, we are advancing health care for a stronger community.”

Munro also praised the Holzer Health System employees for their dedication and work during the integration of Holzer Health Systems and Holzer Clinic.

“The amount of effort put forth [toward the] integration by our providers, administrators and employees has been overwhelming — it really has — and we applaud each of our staff members and their efforts to be one Holzer system, and we look forward to a very, very bright future,” Munro added.

The merger will integrate two hospital locations in Gallipolis and Jackson; 15 clinic locations that reach the larger metropolitan locations in the region — Athens, Charleston and Huntington; multiple long-term care entities including senior care facilities and assisted living establishments in Jackson and Gallipolis; over 150 providers with over 30 medical specialities; and numerous joint efforts, including Holzer Center for Cancer Care, Holzer Cardiovascular institute, Holzer Weight Loss Solutions and Holzer Center for Joint Replacement.

Together, the entities that now comprise Holzer Health System employ over 2,500 people who, united, will provide a range of services, including inpatient hospital services, outpatient clinic needs, cardiovascular and cancer services, orthopedic surgeries, weight loss needs, and will staff an entire division devoted to long-term care including hospice, home care, extra care, assisted living and senior care services.

“This merger between our two organizations allows us to be stable, with a greater opportunity for growth in the community and allows us to get more health care services to our community. That, in turn, will create more jobs,” Saunders commented. “I just think we’re seeing a new leaf turned over in southern Ohio today.”