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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ALABASTER – On Tuesday, Oct 1, Orlando Health officially assumed a majority interest in Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham and by extension Shelby Baptist Medical Center.

On Oct. 1, celebrations across the Brookwood Baptist Health network took place, including at Shelby Baptist Medical Center where key stakeholders in the community joined together in fellowship with clinicians and representatives of Orlando Health.

“I’m not sure there are words to describe how excited we are,” said Thibaut van Marcke, senior vice president for the Alabama region of Orlando Health. “The level of enthusiasm with hospital employees, physicians and the community has been really overwhelming and so we share that excitement.”

Back in August, Tenet Healthcare Corporation entered into a definitive agreement with Orlando Health for the sale of Tenet’s 70 percent majority ownership interest in Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham for approximately $910 million in cash—after-tax proceeds of approximately $790 million. Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster was included in the transaction.

The celebrations on Oct. 1 across the health system network marked the completion of the transaction and the exchange of majority ownership interest. Orlando Health, a private, not-for-profit healthcare organization, will manage day-to-day operations of Brookwood Baptist Health in partnership with Baptist Health System. Baptist Health System will remain as an owner in the partnership and will continue to be a faith-based organization.

“We’re excited to have Orlando Health as a partner,” said Amy Allen, president and CEO of Baptist Health System. “Their dedication to excellence and improving patient care has been repeatedly recognized with national honors from leading quality and patient-safety organizations. This is a great day for our patients, our physicians, our team and our community.”

Holly Dean, CEO of Shelby Baptist Medical Center, attended the celebrations on Oct. 1 and expressed her excitement for the hospital’s new partnership with Orlando Health.

“Today is a very exciting day for Shelby Baptist,” she said. “This truly is a new day, and we’re excited about what the future is going to hold for this hospital and the community.”

Dean also shared that there will be changes coming in the next year or two that will address and revitalize needs and services that the community has asked for.

“There’s going to be vast changes coming in the very near future that really has us excited about what healthcare is going to look like for Alabaster and our surrounding communities,” Dean said. “We’re proud of our partnership with Orlando Health and can’t wait to get to work.”

Van Marcke highlighted some of the positive changes he believes will be brought about regarding Shelby Baptist Medical Center’s work culture.

“I think driving culture is a big priority for us,” he said. “We want to provide a great place to work for our team members, and we also want to be a great partner for physicians in the community so that we can build quality clinical programs together.”

Van Marcke said that a goal for the company is for clinicians to provide services that improve the level of care and access to care in Alabaster, Shelby County and throughout central Alabama.

“The warm reception that we’ve received from everybody has been absolutely unbelievable,” he said. “We’re really happy to be part of this community and really look forward to a really bright future together.”