The Federal Trade Commission has requested additional information from two Michigan health systems seeking approval to combine into a 22-hospital system with 64,000 team members.
Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont Health and Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spectrum signed a letter of intent in June and inked a formal agreement in September to merge and create a new health system to temporarily be called BHSH System. The proposed deal needs approval from federal and state regulators.
Beaumont and Spectrum said Sept. 24 that the FTC is experiencing a surge in merger filings across all industries, so it will take longer than originally anticipated to review their proposed merger.
While the FTC is reviewing additional documentation, the systems are working on pre-integration planning that will be implemented upon close of the deal.
"Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health remain committed to a shared vision to provide more accessible, affordable, equitable and exceptional health care and coverage for people across our state," the two organizations said in a news release. "They continue to be confident that creating a combined health system is pro-competitive and will benefit the communities they serve."