Evie Lalangas Quoted in D Magazine on the Possible Merger of Baylor Scott & White Health’s North Texas Heart Hospitals

Bradley attorney Evie Lalangas was quoted in D Magazine on the advantages of the potential merger of Baylor Scott & White Health’s North Texas heart hospitals.

If the Dallas and Plano heart entities merge, ownership could also be a factor. The Dallas hospital is part of the nonprofit health system, while the Plano hospital is a joint venture with local physicians.

“As the original partner physicians have retired over the last 20 years, younger physicians may be less interested in investing in the hospital business as hospital margins have thinned,” explained Lalangas.

Changing the ownership structure may provide financial advantages, Lalangas said, adding “My initial reaction is that the move is payer-driven. There may be an advantage to consolidating ownership for payer contracts. Payer pressure is getting pretty intense; costs are going up every year and impacting the financial model of operating a hospital, even a productive one.”

Creating a stronger connection between BSWH’s flagship hospital and the system’s facilities in the northern market, where patients are more likely to be wealthier and have better health insurance, could be a smart business move. “With a broad patient base and patients coming from all over North Texas, there may be an advantage financially to bringing Plano into the umbrella with the Dallas location,” Lalangas concluded.

The full article, “Why Might Baylor Scott & White Be Merging Its Heart Hospitals?,” was published by D Magazine on November 12, 2024.