October 9, 1998

Partners, BWH and Faulkner Hospital announced Oct. 1 that the proposed network affiliation among the institutions has been reviewed by all necessary federal and state agencies, and the affiliation now is official.

The affiliation involves the merger of the parent organizations of both Faulkner Hospital and BWH into a single entity named Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals, Inc. (BW/F). BWH and Faulkner will each maintain its own identity, boards of trustees, medical staff and administrative teams. BW/F will be a subsidiary of Partners HealthCare System.

A memorandum of understanding among the institutions was signed in April 1998, and the agreement was approved in August by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome a hospital with such a well-deserved reputation for excellent care as Faulkner Hospital to Partners," says Samuel O. Thier, MD, Partners president and chief executive officer. "Having Faulkner Hospital join us will benefit patients throughout the network."