The merger of rural primary care and home health services.

The merger of rural primary care and home health services offers the potential for increasing the administrative efficiency of health care, and thereby enhancing the quality of care and increasing access to services, particularly health promotion. However, the proposed benefits of any merger can only be realized if the merger process is successfully completed. An analysis of the factors that were important in a case study of successful and unsuccessful mergers of rural health centers and home health care agencies in northeastern Vermont is presented. Three components were found to be necessary to start the merger process: complementary needs, opportunity, and common philosophy. The involvement and support of key individuals was crucial to sustaining merger interest. Good communication throughout the process contributed substantially to the maintenance of both community and staff support. Others considering similar mergers should recognize that the process of consolidating organizations and satisfying regulations takes some time to complete.