DAYTON, Ohioo -- Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton announced Mondayt that it will acquire the assets of Dayton Heart Hospital for $55 million. Good Samaritan will begin responsibility for operations at the current site as of May 17, 2008.

“Our goal is to deliver the best possible patient care, and there will be no disruption of service,” emphasized James R. Pancoast, president and chief executive officer of Good Samaritan. “Two outstanding heart programs are coming together, and we will incorporate best practices from both.”

Dr. David Joffe, medical director of Dayton Heart Hospital, added, “Patients who have trusted Dayton Heart Hospital can be confident that the same great care will now be provided by the combined strength of two great facilities. We are very proud of our patient-focused care model and all that we have accomplished. Going forward, we will be in a stronger position to serve the needs of our patients by integrating into an acute care setting at Good Samaritan Hospital.”

Mary Garman, Dayton Heart Hospital’s chief operating officer and vice president of clinical services, will become a vice president of hospital operations at Good Samaritan Hospital and chief operating officer of the new heart and vascular facility on its campus, responsible for overseeing the integration and future operations of the combined program. Dayton Heart Hospital’s nearly 350 employees will become Good Samaritan employees and will be offered their current jobs.

Pancoast said Good Samaritan will also invest $5 million to establish the Dayton Heart Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to cardiac education and prevention programs for physicians and the public. Joffe will serve as director of the Institute.

Dayton Heart Hospital, which will become known as “Dayton Heart and Vascular Hospital, Owned and Operated by Good Samaritan Hospital,” will remain in its current location on South Edwin C. Moses Blvd. until it becomes part of the $31 million heart and vascular facility currently under construction on the Good Samaritan campus. That is currently anticipated to be in August 2009.

Pancoast said plans are under development to adapt the current building for other medical-related uses once Dayton Heart Hospital relocates to the new facility.

Joffe noted that many physicians who currently practice at Dayton Heart Hospital also treat patients at Good Samaritan.

“We plan to provide the same great care to our patients at the heart and vascular facility as soon as it fully opens in 2009,” he said. “We are very excited about all that it will have to offer.”

The new heart and vascular facility, located in the former Seton Tower, will feature state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, including Dayton’s most advanced endovascular suites, coronary intervention suites and a cardiac diagnostic center. Good Samaritan will be the first hospital in Dayton to have a dedicated new heart and vascular facility connected to a full-service hospital.

The first phase will open in July 2008. The original 75,000-square-foot plan will be expanded to add three cardiac catheterization labs and 39 private patient rooms – for a total of seven catheterization labs and 117 private patient rooms – to accommodate Dayton Heart Hospital’s needs.

Pancoast called the acquisition of Dayton Heart Hospital “another investment by Good Samaritan Hospital in our future and that of the community we serve.”

He added, “While there is no requirement that any physician refer patients to us, we believe that our ability to earn their trust may result in the opportunity to serve more patients in addition to our current patient population. This will provide financial stability that will allow us to serve the broad needs of the community – including providing health care to those who cannot afford it – while we invest in earning the trust of physicians and patients.”

Over the past five years, Good Samaritan has also invested $7 million in The Phoenix Project, a cooperative effort with residents, city leaders and local businesses to bring a sense of revitalization, safety and strength to the surrounding neighborhood. Pancoast said the project has improved property values, enhanced its visual image, increased interest in homeownership and enhanced youth activities. In addition, the Dayton school district will build a new K-8 school in the revitalized neighborhood.