UPMC buys 50% stake in Rome hospital

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has expanded its operations in Italy, buying a 50 percent stake in the 75-bed Salvator Mundi International Hospital in Rome and taking over clinical operations.

Ownership of the private facility will be shared with the current hospital operator, Rome International Hospital Management. As part of its takeover of clinical operations, UPMC will name a new medical director and chief operating officer.

“Given UPMC’s long-standing and successful operations in Italy, we are excited about partnering with RIHM to bring more high-quality services to patients who currently are underserved by both private and public health care providers,” Charles Bogosta, president of UPMC International, said in a statement. “Our strategic investment in Salvator Mundi International ensures that this partnership will promote our mission of giving patients the best possible care close to home.”

The facility’s current CEO, Michele Casaciani, said she hopes the “partnerships creates a model for private health care in Italy,” which has a largely public system similar to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. UPMC’s press release indicated it would also aim for international accreditation by the Joint Commission.

UPMC’s presence in the Italian healthcare market dates back 20 years. Its current operations in the country include a transplant center in Palermo and management of the Advanced Radiotherapy Center of Excellence at San Pietro Hospital in Rome.

In its home state of Pennsylvania, UPMC has been in expansion mode, planning on spending $900 million on building projects next year. It has also announced the acquisition of the seven-hospital PinnacleHealth System in central Pennsylvania, which led to a downgrade of its credit rating by Moody’s Investor Service earlier this month.