The names of Catholic medical centers in Danville and Urbana have been changed, with leaders saying the region will benefit from a new “Presence.”

Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Danville, with 174 licensed beds, is now known as Presence United Samaritans Medical Center.

Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana, with 210 licensed beds, will now be called Presence Covenant Medical Center.

Presence Health is the name of their parent company. It was formed by the 2011 merger of two hospital systems — Provena Health of Mokena and Resurrection Health Care of Chicago.

The resulting not-for-profit health system, Presence Health, encompasses 12 hospitals including the medical centers in Danville and Urbana. The newest health care system in Illinois also includes 27 senior care locations and 90 primary and specialty care clinics. It employs 22,000 people, including 500 physicians.

“Above all, we will deliver care with compassion, dignity, and respect at every stage of life,” said Mike Brown, regional president and chief executive officer of Presence Covenant and Presence United Samaritans medical centers. He said Presence Health emphasizes a patient-centered care model rather than one that is disease-centered.

Patient benefits from being a part of the new health care system include access to specialty care such as cardiothoracic surgeons, visiting plastic surgeons, and expedited transfers to neuroscience services at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.

The hospitals will continue to invest in the communities they serve, said Brown, through charitable care and expansion of services, technologies and facilities.

In Urbana, Covenant Medical Center was formed in 1989 by the merging of two hospitals; Burnham City Hospital and Mercy Hospital. Burnham City Hospital was founded in 1894 and Mercy Hospital was founded by the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary in 1919. In 1997, the medical center became part of the Provena Health system and was renamed Provena Covenant Medical Center.

In Danville, United Samaritans Medical Center was formed in 1988 by the merging of Lakeview Medical Center and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. St. Elizabeth’s had been founded by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart in 1882. The medical center in Danville has been known as Provena United Samaritans since 1997.

Meanwhile, two new Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary are now serving at Presence Covenant. Sister Karen Bricher is assisting with pastoral care, while Sister Karen Carlson, who is trained as a social worker, will work in the new Community Resource Center. The Catholic Post will introduce the Sisters and their work in a future issue.