Local Clinic in Talks to Merge With Hoosier Health Facility

Matt Crane with the Dubois County Free Press contributed to this report

JASPER -- Two Hoosier non-profit health centers are in talks about a possible merger.

The Dubois County Free Press reports Southern Hills Counseling Center in Jasper and Jeffersonville-based LifeSpring Health Systems have been working together and collaborating to strengthen both organizations by merging into a single entity.

Both health clinics have been open in their communities for more than 50 years, together, providing health services to over 12,000 people each year.

Joe Kimmel, the executive director of Southern Hills tells the Free Press that his facility is one of the smallest community mental health care clinics in the state, adding a potential merger would allow them to better offer a multi-generational continuum of behavior health services.

Southern Hills provides services to people in Dubois, Perry, Spencer, Orange and Crawford Counties.

LifeSpring covers Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Washington, Scott and Jefferson Counties.