Lifespan, Care New England To Merge

PROVIDENCE, RI — The massive health care merger of New England giants Lifespan and Care New England has been made official, the companies announced Tuesday. Together with Brown University, the goal is to create "a world-class integrated academic health system that serves the people of Rhode Island by ensuring excellence in health care from birth to end-of-life, including specialty care, in their home state," the statements from Lifespan said.

The university committed to providing at least $125 million over five years to help create the academic health system, and will be a part of the governing board. Once the system is up and running, Brown University students will be involved in the system, which aims to bridge "medical education and research with clinical practice across the combined system’s hospitals."

Lawrence Aubin, the chair of Lifespan's Board of Directors, said "it is gratifying to finally realize the vision of an integrated academic health system with Lifespan, Care New England and Brown University."

"Together, we are better able to serve as an economic engine for the state," Aubin continued. "The health sector in any region is a source of good paying jobs, not only within the hospital systems, but the businesses created and driven by goods and services that hospitals purchase. We want to be sure that these remain strong for many decades to come."

The merger has been a story of will they, won't they for more than a year. In September, both companies signed a letter of intent signalling that the merger would go forward.

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio released a joint statement Tuesday praising the decision, saying they believe it will be beneficial to Rhode Islanders.

"We are excited that the long-anticipated merger of Lifespan and Care New England, our two largest health care delivery systems, has advanced for public review by the Department of Health, the Health Services Council and the Attorney General’s office," the statement said. "We have seen in other regions the tremendous advantages that stem from a strong academic health system as an anchor tenant in a capital city. The legislature will be reviewing the details to ensure that patient care and the health care jobs are not adversely impacted by the merger."

SEIU 1199 New England, the union that represents health care workers in the state, said in a statement that the organization is concerned about the possible ramifications of the merger.

"Our membership, the frontline health care heroes who have showed up every day during the pandemic, have many questions about what the impact of the proposed merger will be on the vital services that we provide," the statement read in part. "We need to proceed cautiously to ensure that sacrifices of frontline health care workers are honored and respected and that the eventual passing of the pandemic does not result in the amazing efforts of frontline caregivers being forgotten or diminished."

More information about the merger and proposed changes that would affect Rhode Islanders is available on Lifespan's website.