Day Kimball Healthcare, a health system based in Putnam, Conn., inked an agreement to explore joining Tewksbury, Mass.-based Covenant Health.
Under the deal, Day Kimball Healthcare's hospital, medical group, home care, hospice and palliative care, as well as four health centers, would be owned and operated by Covenant Health, a nonprofit health system that owns and operates 12 skilled nursing and senior living communities and three hospitals throughout New England and Pennsylvania.
Additionally, Day Kimball will continue to have a community-led board of directors that will serve as advisers to Covenant Health's board.
The organizations said they will now work toward a final agreement.
The organizations said the agreement came to fruition after several months of conversations between the organizations.
"We have had many productive and encouraging conversations with the leadership of Day Kimball Healthcare," said Stephen Grubbs, president and CEO of Covenant Health. "The agreement we signed today allows us to take the next steps in this process, including working out important details and filing requests for approval of the proposed transition with various regulatory agencies."