BLOOMINGTON - Carle Clinic-Bloomington/Normal will join OSF HealthCare in a deal that both organizations claim will be advantageous for existing and new clinic patients.

"I am very excited for the future of medical care in McLean and Livingston counties," said Dr. Charles Dennis of Carle Clinic's Convenient Care.

Carle and OSF announced Tuesday that agreements had been signed for Peoria-based OSF to acquire the multi-specialty clinic at 1701 E. College Ave., Bloomington, from Carle Clinic, Urbana. The clinic - which opened in 1983 - has nearly 40 doctors and about 200 employees and treated about 37,000 patients last year.

Financial terms were not released.

The clinic will become a part of OSF on Sept. 13, when the clinic name will be changed to OSF Medical Group-College Avenue.

Jim Farrell, OSF senior vice president, said OSF is committed to the same high level of care that patients have experienced at the clinic.

Carle Rx Express pharmacy will remain open in the clinic but under ownership of Carle Foundation, Urbana. Other operations will transition to OSF ownership, but patients should experience few changes, said Farrell and Dr. Les Mathers, clinic chief medical officer.

No jobs are being eliminated as a result of the transaction, said clinic director Russ Rodriguez. He and Mathers will remain in their positions.

The vast majority of physicians and staff plan to remain with the clinic as it transitions to OSF ownership, Mathers said.

About five physicians have decided to leave the clinic and open practices elsewhere, Mathers said. OSF has said that it will not interfere if those physicians open offices in the area, and it plans to replace physicians who leave, Mathers and Rodriguez said.

Clinic patients would continue to have access to BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal, but new ownership will mean that clinic physicians also will have privileges at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington. Currently, not all clinic doctors have privileges at St. Joseph, Dennis said.

The new ownership also will mean that the clinic will accept health insurance with Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Humana Inc., Dennis said. Insurance with Health Alliance Medical Plans will still be accepted.

OSF and Carle are joining forces because the clinic will gain a local hospital partner and OSF will gain a clinic that includes specialties that OSF does not have in Bloomington, Mathers and Farrell said.

Affiliating with a Catholic health care institution will mean that clinic doctors won't be able to perform two birth control procedures: vasectomies and tubal ligations, Mathers said.