Coastal Medical, an independent primary care provider with more than 500 employees, plans to join Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan.
The organizations have signed a letter of intent to pursue an affiliation. A definitive agreement is expected to be reached later this year. A spokesperson said it is premature to call the deal an acquisition.
Coastal Medical is one of Rhode Island's largest primary care groups with more than 20 office buildings in the state and 500 employees, including 125 primary care physicians and advanced practitioners.
Lifespan has more than 15,000 employees.
"We are proud that our value-based, coordinated care model is at the forefront of primary care medicine, and we seek to bring that value to more Rhode Islanders," said Alan Kurose, MD Coastal Medial's president and CEO.