It’s official, Alpena Regional Medical Center has joined MidMichigan Health, an affiliate of the University of Michigan Health System. ARMC, which will now be know as MidMichigan Medical Center -Alpena, becomes the fifth medical center in the MidMichigan Health system.

Karmon Bjella has been named president of MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena; he was CEO of ARMC. Eric Smith, who was board chair of ARMC, is board chair of MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena.

“What an incredible milestone this marks in the history of Alpena Regional Medical Center as we have now become MidMichigan Medical Center -Alpena,” Smith stated in a press release. “We wish to thank our board of trustees, employees, providers, volunteers and donors, the county commissioners, legislators, and above all, our community for the support they have given to us throughout this journey.”

Since October 2015 when ARMC announced it selected MidMichigan Health as a partner after evaluating several proposals, a letter of intent was signed, an extensive due-diligence process was completed, and a definitive agreement was signed. Numerous actions also have occurred involving legislative changes, approvals by the Alpena County Board of Commissioners and formal actions taken by the ARMC Board of Trustees and MidMichigan Health Board of Directors.

“Adding Alpena to MidMichigan Health and our family of Medical Centers in Alma, Clare, Gladwin and Midland is an honor to which we are all so proud. The employees and medical staff of Alpena share our mission of providing excellent health services to improve the quality of life for people in our communities,” Diane Postler-Slattery, president and CEO of MidMichigan Health, said. “We look forward to working with them to enhance the depth and breadth of services available to area residents and beyond.”

With the affiliation complete, MidMichigan Medical Center – Alpena is now the second-largest subsidiary of MidMichigan Health with 139 licensed-beds, followed by MidMichigan Medical Center in Alma with 79 beds, the Medical Center in Clare with 49 beds, and the Medical Center in Gladwin with 25 beds. MidMichigan Medical Center – Midland is the largest hospital in the MidMichigan Health system with 328 licensed-beds.In addition to the Medical Centers, MidMichigan Health also includes urgent care centers, home care, physicians, medical offices and other specialty health services.

The MidMichigan Health Board of Directors will increase by two members from Alpena and will include Smith and Jim Arbuckle. The MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena board will increase by two members to include Postler-Slattery and Greg Rogers, senior vice president of MidMichigan Health and president of MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland.

MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena offers inpatient and outpatient health care services to a broad region that includes 24-zip codes in Alpena, Alcona, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda and Presque Isle counties. It has approximately 1,000 employees, 200 volunteers and about 100 physicians.