The merger application between Lifespan and Care New England — both based in Providence, R.I. — has been completed and will go under review by the state attorney general's office and the Rhode Island Department of Health on Nov. 17, the office said Nov. 16.
In the next steps, the attorney general's office will hold confidentiality determinations until Dec. 30, after which the application will be made public, and public meetings will be held. A final decision will be made by March 16, 2022, according to the attorney general's office.
"As a regulator with the immense responsibility of evaluating hospital transactions in our state, our goal is clear," Mr. Neronha said. "We need to determine whether the transaction is legal and understand how, if approved, it will impact cost, quality and access to care for the people of Rhode Island."
The two organizations filed the merger application April 26.