L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital will finalize a deal Wednesday for the purchase of Stabler Clinic.

L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital CEO Jason Studley confirmed the deal Tuesday afternoon, but declined to release the purchase amount or terms of the deal.

“We’re excited about joining forces with Stabler Clinic,” Studley said. “The Clinic has a great reputation in this area for primary care, and we feel like this partnership between L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital and Stabler Clinic will allow us to better serve our patients.

“By combining our resources, the things we can do for our community’s healthcare needs are almost limitless.”

The deal has been in the works since August.

“This is something we have been working on for almost a year,” Studley said.

The move will reunite the hospital and the clinic, which according to Studley were originally partners.

“The hospital was started by Stabler Clinic, and at some point they split,” he said.

“So this move will bring the two back together, and we’re excited about that. Everyone here at the hospital and the clinic is excited about the opportunities that this will make available.”

One of the benefits to the community may very well be the hospital’s ability to recruit physicians to the Greenville area.

“This will allow us to recruit more physicians to this area,” Studley said.

“Now instead of competing with each other to attract physicians, we are combining our resources, which should make things more attractive for physicians who are interested in coming to Greenville.”

A pair of primary care physicians are expected to join the hospital’s staff beginning in September and October.

“We’re expecting two physicians to join us in the latter part of the year,” Studley said.

According to Studley, the hospital’s primary care physicians will move from  the hospital into the clinic’s facility, along with the physicians from Stabler Clinic.

Studley cited the clinic’s in-house lab and x-ray equipment as a major benefit to patients.

“Patients can see their physician and also get their lab work done at the clinic,” he said.

The merger will also create opportunities for expansion.

In the future, the hospital plans to add a hospitalist program.

The program would feature physicians on staff with the hospital that would treat patients admitted to the hospital, freeing up primary care physicans to handle outpatient care.

“A program like this will increase the availability of the physicians, which we believe will serve our patients even better,” Studley said.

There are also plans to expand the hospital’s urology and neurology departments.

“These are things that we were already working on, but joining forces with the clinic should make it a smoother transition,” Studley said.