CANTON, Ohio and MILLERSBURG, Ohio (Feb. 17, 2021) – Aultman Health Foundation and Pomerene Hospital have entered into a management agreement that has allowed Pomerene to become an Aultman affiliate, effective Jan. 29, 2021.

The affiliation will unite the Holmes County community hospital with a regional health care center, providing a continuum of care for the residents of Holmes County and beyond. The affiliation will bring together Aultman Health Foundation, with its tertiary medical center and its nationally recognized health care plan AultCare, with Aultman College, Aultman Orrville Hospital, Alliance Community Hospital, Aultman Specialty Hospital and Pomerene Hospital.

“The management agreement will allow Pomerene to further develop the longstanding relationship that exists between Pomerene and Aultman and is a natural next step,” said Dan Mathie, chairman of the board of directors, Pomerene Hospital. “We will be affiliating with a regional health care system who shares our values and who we know, respect and trust. The management agreement will strengthen both of us as we work together to provide the highest-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered care throughout the region while at the same time retaining local control.”

Aultman and Pomerene have a long-established relationship, and the affiliation of the two further aligns Aultman’s vision of developing a streamlined, locally owned, integrated system of health care services for the communities they serve. The two organizations already share services and assist each other with best health care clinical and business practices. The two have, in fact, worked together as members of the Independent Hospital Network for more than 20 years.

“After carefully examining this affiliation opportunity, our board of directors determined that Pomerene Hospital would be a valuable partner in Aultman’s regional health care system, and that this affiliation would support our mission to lead our community to improved health,” said Ed Roth, president and CEO, Aultman Health Foundation. “This will also benefit Pomerene, which will have a local partner providing the support and services of a larger integrated health care system.”

The affiliation between Aultman and Pomerene will look to directly benefit the community by:

• Expanding services provided locally.
• Increasing access to recruitment and retention of talent.
• Improving Pomerene’s financial performance and long-term stability.
• Enhancing quality of care, patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes.

Once the affiliation is completed, the current management team and staff will remain in place, and Pomerene will retain its name at this time.

About Aultman Health Foundation
The Aultman Health Foundation is a not-for-profit health care organization serving Stark and surrounding counties. The vertically integrated institution includes Aultman Hospital, Aultman Orrville Hospital, Alliance Community Hospital, the locally managed health insurance provider AultCare, The Aultman Foundation and Aultman College. With 1,032 beds, over 800 active physicians and a team of more than 7,000 employees, Aultman is Stark County's largest hospital. For more information, visit www.aultman.org.

About Pomerene Hospital
Pomerene Hospital is a nonprofit community hospital serving Holmes County and its surrounding areas. Pomerene is a 55-bed, acute-care hospital nestled in the hills of Amish Country. With more than 325 employees, 95 providers and 65 volunteers, Pomerene is one of the largest employers in Holmes County and is a 15-time recipient of the NorthCoast 99 Best Places to Work. Most recently in 2020, Pomerene received a five-star Quality Rating from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For more information, visit www.pomerene.org.