IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County Healthcare System and UP Health System (UPHS) are beginning a formal process to evaluate the possibility of the Dickinson County system becoming part of UPHS.  The organizations have signed a non-binding letter of intent that allows them to evaluate a potential acquisition of Dickinson County by UPHS and engage regional stakeholders in discussions of new approaches to ensuring access to high quality care in the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin.

UPHS includes three hospital campuses in the Upper Peninsula: UPHS-Marquette – the system’s tertiary campus, UPHS-Portage in Hancock, and UPHS–Bell in Ishpeming. The letter of intent is a non-binding agreement that initiates a due diligence process allowing Dickinson County Healthcare System and UPHS to ensure that a potential acquisition of Dickinson County Healthcare by UPHS is in the best interests of both organizations and the people they serve.
Due diligence is projected to take a minimum of 60-90 days. Following this process, if it is determined that the acquisition should move forward, Dickinson County Healthcare System and UPHS will begin to negotiate the terms of a definitive agreement.