Warren General Hospital has entered into an affiliation with Allegheny Health Network and LECOM Health.

The hospital maintains local control but adds valuable partners in providing care in the community, according to CEO Rick Allen.

“Warren General Hospital will remain an independent hospital,” Allen said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Allegheny Health Network and LECOM Health will become “important resources for Warren General Hospital. We value the partners we are gaining.”

Allegheny Health will provide “clinical support for emergency and hospitalist care” at Warren General, according to a Wednesday release. Warren General’s obstetrics program has been staffed by physicians from St. Vincent’s, an AHN hospital in Erie, since 2016.

The agreement “will strengthen and expand quality of care,” Allen said.

For a full story, see Thursday’s Times Observer or timesobserver.com.