Western Maryland Health System (WMHS) has officially joined Pittsburgh-based UPMC. Western Maryland operates the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center (200 licensed beds) and serves the residents of Cumberland, Maryland and surrounding counties in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The deal culminates a relationship between the organizations that began in 2018 with a clinical affiliation. In March 2019, both boards signed a non-binding letter of intent to negotiate an affiliation agreement. The merger was finalized on February 1 and the system was renamed UPMC Western Maryland.
The board of UPMC Western Maryland consists of 12 directors, with 8 appointed by the current WMHS board and 4 designated by the UPMC board.
UPMC operates 40 academic, community and specialty hospitals and is the largest non-government employer in Pennsylvania, with 4,900 employed physicians and 89,000 staff members.
UPMC has committed to make certain capital investments to enhance services and upgrade facilities in the Western Maryland region. These investments by UPMC, along with investments that the WMHS Foundation has made and continues to make, will help ensure that UPMC Western Maryland will continue to provide quality health care for residents as well as maintaining its position as one of the largest employers in the region.
