Rush Health Systems, a seven-hospital system in Meridian, Miss., signed an agreement to join New Orleans-based Ochsner Health.
The organizations said June 17 that they signed a shared mission agreement and expect the deal to be finalized in mid-2022, following necessary regulatory approvals.
The deal builds on an existing partnership between the health systems announced in 2019.
When the transaction is complete, Rush Health Systems will be renamed Ochsner Rush Health and its employees will see minimum wage increase to $12.
Rush Health System said the agreement will help it grow existing programs and offer new services.
"Today's news means that we are taking the next step in our partnership," Larkin Kennedy, president and CEO of Rush Health Systems, said in a news release. "We are excited to join Ochsner Health and work with them to continue to improve quality and decrease costs while enhancing access to highly specialized care closer to home."