Despite stating it was not "party" to Brown University's discussions with Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings to take over Care New England, Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan was reportedly asked multiple times to participate in discussions, but declined, according to WPRI-12 News.
Providence-based Brown University President Christina Paxson, PhD, told WPRI-12 News Jan. 31 Brown had approached Lifespan multiple times about joining forces to present a rival bid to take over Providence-based Care New England shortly after the health system revealed its proposed deal with Boston-based Partners HealthCare last April.
"We asked Lifespan, and they weren't interested, at that time. … We're hoping very much that if we move forward they come into the discussion. I think we're very open to that, and Prospect is very open to that, too," Dr. Paxson said.
David Levesque, a spokesperson for Lifespan, told Becker's Hospital Review Feb. 2, "Over the past several years, there have been numerous conversations between Brown University and Lifespan regarding the creation of a single, unified academic healthcare system and how that could be accomplished with Care New England. Lifespan did engage in preliminary discussions last year with Brown University regarding the future of Care New England. Ultimately, Lifespan decided to delay any formal talks as CNE and Partners HealthCare were in exclusive negotiations at that time, as they remain."
Mr. Levesque continued, stating "At no time did our conversations with Brown include Prospect Medical Holdings."
Brown and Prospect provided an unsolicited joint bid to take over Care New England early last month. Weeks later, Care New England and Partners HealthCare announced their intent to enter into a definitive agreement last month.