Credit: wei/stock.adobe.com
First Financial Federal Credit Union (FFFCU) has announced its official merger with St. Joseph Medical Center Federal Credit Union (SJMCFCU), expanding its footprint in Maryland’s healthcare sector. SJMCFCU members approved the merger on March 18. The legal merger date is set for April 16, with full conversion slated for June 1.
SJMCFCU serves employees, physicians and contracted staff of St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Md. “We are excited for the opportunities this merger brings to St. Joseph Medical Center FCU members,” SJMCFCU Board Chair Tom Gronert said. “First Financial offers a variety of financial products, convenient services and the personal service our members have come to expect from their credit union.”
Recommended For You
This merger marked the fourth major hospital to join the Sparks, Md.-based FFFCU’s field of membership, which also includes more than 25 health care service organizations, four county school systems and over 150 select employer groups throughout the region.
“We are honored to have been chosen by the SJMCFCU leadership and members to be their credit union of the future,” FFFCU President/CEO Eric Church said. “First Financial will continue their standard of service excellence and also deliver all the benefits and value that First Financial membership brings.”
In addition to its expanded membership, FFFCU reaffirmed its commitment to supporting members during difficult times. In response to recent disruptions, including the termination of federal agencies by executive order, the credit union is offering disaster relief assistance to qualified members. Relief options include up to three months of payment deferment on eligible loans and waived late fees during that period.
The SJMCFCU branch on the campus of St. Joseph Medical Center will continue to operate under FFFCU.
According to the latest NCUA data, FFFCU has $1.2 billion in assets and 71,814 members.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
