Advocate Health Care and the BroMenn Healthcare System seem to be a good fit for each other. Having BroMenn join Advocate should strengthen both organizations over the long run.

Both are faith-based organizations with similar philosophies and commitments to community hospitals.

Advocate is related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ. BroMenn's Board of Directors is elected by the Brokaw-Mennonite Association, with representatives from 83 area churches.

For Advocate, the merger will give the Chicago-area-based health system a presence in Central Illinois. The organization already has nine acute-care hospitals and two children's hospitals in the Chicago metropolitan area.

For BroMenn Regional Medical Center and its affiliate, Eureka Community Hospital, the merger will mean being part of a larger group with greater access to improved technology - both medical technology and information systems technology, which should help control costs.

BroMenn itself is already the product of a merger: Brokaw Hospital and Mennonite Hospital joined together about 25 years ago. Roger Hunt, BroMenn's president and CEO, called the merger with Advocate the "next evolution forward."

The merger was recently approved by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. The merger is expected to be completed by Jan. 1.

BroMenn will retain its local board, and joint ventures, such as the Community Cancer Center operated with OSF St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, will continue, officials said. That's best for BroMenn and the community.

This merger benefits the community in that it allows BroMenn to better keep pace with changing technology while also improving efficiencies, so that it may continue to deliver high-quality health care at competitive prices.