Lifespan, Care New England Vote To Merge

PROVIDENCE, RI — Lifespan and Care New England have officially voted to merge, the two companies announced Wednesday. Both boards voted to move forward with a letter of intent on Tuesday night.

The combined system would create a nonprofit, academic medical center with Brown University, comprised of seven hospitals offering specialized care for women and children, behavioral health, visiting nursing services, research and education. The system would employ more than 23,500 workers in Rhode Island and the region.

"This affiliation will help build an even stronger future for our organizations while maintaining a strong commitment to Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts," said Charles Reppucci, the board chair for Care New England. "We look forward to continuing this collaboration, sharing additional details about our vision for health care delivery as we begin the regulatory process."

The merger process has been a long one, with Care New England walking away from the negotiating table in July 2019, saying it was no longer in the board's best interest. This announcement came after Partners Healthcare withdrew its bid to merge with the company a month before.

"By combining the talent, experience and resources of our two organizations, we can create a national model that fully leverages the integration and coordination of care," said Lawrence Aubin Sr., Lifespan's board chair." In doing so, we are better equipped to meet market challenges and mandates to improve outcomes while reducing health care costs."

Christina Paxson, the president of Brown University, said she is "thrilled" by the announcement.

"A unified academic medical center with Brown University, Lifespan, and Care New England has always been the best solution for health care in Rhode Island," Paxson said. "Capitalizing on the complementary strengths of our health care institutions with Brown University will make it possible to provide high-quality low-cost health care, attract and retain the best physicians, and grow our research enterprise while powering the Rhode Island economy."