Maimonides, North Shore-LIJ strike joint venture in Brooklyn, will expand services

Brooklyln's famed Maimonides Medical Center will partner with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, the healthcare providers announced this week, in a move that will integrate their services but keep them running as independent systems.

The healthcare providers first announced in February that they were in partnership negotiations.

According to the providers, the integration will happen in phases. Maimonides will continue to act as a stand-alone hospital but will gradually launch new services established by North Shore-LIJ within Brooklyn.

[Also: North Shore-LIJ, Maimonides in partnership negotiations]

For example, North Shore-LIJ said it will expand ambulatory services in Brooklyn and invest in infrastructure projects at the 711-bed Brooklyn hospital.

The joint venture was also announced as Maimonides CEO Pamela Brier prepares to retire at the beginning of 2016.

"This partnership with North Shore will -- simply put -- make an enormous difference in our ability to take better care of people who live in Brooklyn," Brier said in a statement.

[Also: North Shore-LIJ plans joint venture with Newport Health to develop population health platform]

North Shore-LIJ, already one of the nation's largest health systems, has been expanding its footprint both to the east and west of its traditional central Long Island roots. The Maimonides joint venture means North Shore-LIJ will have an affiliated hospital in every New York City borough except the Bronx. The provider also recently added the Peconic Bay Medical Center to its fold, placing it in the East End of Long Island, an area best known for its tony Hamptons region and growing North Fork wine region.

North Shore-LIJ, which also recently launched its own health plan, in August said its venture arm would partner with Newport Health Solutions, a tech company that focuses on population and network management.

Twitter: @HenryPowderly