Northwell Health and Nuvance Health have entered into a strategic agreement to combine systems, expanding their reach with 28 hospitals across New York and Connecticut.
New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell and Danbury, Conn.-based Nuvance plan to integrate into a nonprofit, regional system with 14,500 providers and more than 1,000 sites of care combined.
Northwell currently has 21 hospitals across New York and is the largest healthcare provider and private employer in the state. Nuvance, formed in 2019 with the merger of LaGrangeville, N.Y.-based Health Quest and Danbury-based Western Connecticut Health Network, has five hospitals in New York's Hudson Valley and western Connecticut.
Northwell is led by President and CEO Michael Dowling and Nuvance is led by President and CEO John Murphy, MD. Leadership structures and appointments for the combined organization have not been specified.
The health systems have worked together as partners for the past several years, Mr. Dowling told Becker's. Northwell struck a collaboration agreement with Western Connecticut Health Network in 2018 to share specific resources but remain operating as independent entities. In 2023, the systems partnered to launch urgent care centers together.
Mr. Dowling said that although the addition of Nuvance will bring the enterprise count of hospitals to 28, only 47% of Northwell's revenue is tied to inpatient hospitals due to the growth of its ambulatory footprint and strategy.
In 2022, Nuvance recorded $2.6 billion in revenue and Northwell posted $15.6 billion in revenue.
The proposed agreement will allow the organizations to come together formally upon receipt of necessary regulatory approval. Mr. Dowling is hopeful regulatory approval will be completed by the end of the year.
"By joining forces with Northwell Health, we are taking a giant leap forward in our shared mission to enhance the quality, accessibility and equity of the health care we provide to our communities," said Dr. Murphy. "This agreement enables us to make significant improvements to health outcomes for community hospitals and to deliver unparalleled care and drive positive change in the healthcare landscape."
In their Feb. 28 joint announcement, the systems point to expansion of the workforce pipeline as one objective of the agreement, along with increased capacity to invest in medical advancements and innovation, expedited innovation and combined resources to address social determinants of health and the overall health of their communities.
"This partnership opens a new and exciting chapter for Northwell and Nuvance Health and provides an incredible opportunity to enhance both health systems and take patient care and services to an even higher level," said Mr. Dowling. "We have similar missions in providing high-quality care for patients in the communities we serve. We look forward to building on the care that Nuvance Health's 14,000 staff members and providers deliver each and every day."