Allentown, Pa.-based Sacred Heart HealthCare System, parent company of Allentown-based Sacred Heart Hospital, revealed plans to merge with St. Luke's University Health Network, a seven-hospital system in Bethlehem, Pa., Sept. 19.
Under the agreement, the combined health network will maintain its nonprofit status. Sacred Heart Hospital will also maintain its Catholic identity.
The boards of both organizations unanimously approved the agreement following a competitive selection process.
The deal is subject to customary regulatory approval. Officials from both health systems expect to complete the transaction early next year.
The news comes after St. Luke's unveiled plans to merge with Blue Mountain Health System, a two-hospital system in Lehighton, Pa., Sept. 13. The proposed transaction will create a nine-hospital system and result in an estimated 1,000 job openings across the merged entity.