Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Burlington, Mass.-based Lahey Health are discussing a possible merger. This is the fourth time the institutions have attempted to combine operations in the past five years, according to The Boston Globe.
Representatives from both hospitals declined to comment to The Boston Globe on the reported discussions, but issued statements suggesting each entity was open to new partnerships.
Talks between the two institutions failed in the past over disagreements as to who would lead the merged entity, according to the article.
If approved, the merged entity would constitute a significant system rivaling Boston-based Partners HealthCare, the state's largest health system. However, it is unclear whether state antitrust officials would approve such a merger.
Lahey Health reportedly discussed the possibility of a partnership with at least two other hospital systems this year, including Medford, Mass.-based Hallmark Health System and Manchester, N.H.-based Elliot Health System. The negotiations never came to fruition, according to the article.
Beth Israel Deaconess won approval to strengthen its partnerships with Boston-based New England Baptist Hospital and Framingham, Mass.-based MetroWest Medical Center, according to the article.