A committee of 25 community members from the Rhode Island Foundation released a list of recommendations for the proposed merger of Lifespan and Care New England, both based in Providence.
The state attorney general's office and department of health announced Nov. 16 the merger application is complete and will now go under review.
The Rhode Island Foundation's recommendations were based on four guiding principles: equity, independence, impact and sustainability. The committee met eight times between June and November and created these recommendations based on focus groups, community conversations, targeted research and other community input.
"We believe that Rhode Island can and must chart a different path so that the merged system — if approved — and the broader [Integrated Academic Health System] is the cornerstone of a more inclusive, equitable, accessible, affordable, resilient, and high-quality health care system," the committee said in the report.
Read more about the recommendations here.