For the second time in ten years, Lifespan and Care New England, Rhode Island's two large health systems, plan to merge into a single entity to be called Lifespan.

In 1998, the two entities applied for regulatory approvals needed to merge, but pulled their applications in 2000.  If allowed to combine, the resulting entity will control nearly three-fourths of Rhode Island's hospital system.

Lifespan President and CEO George Vecchione expects this regulatory process to only take six to nine months and for the merger to result in some efficiencies, specifically in central-office operations and alignment of system-wide services, but without substantial job cuts.

According to Lifespan, clinical enhancements that would occur under the merger include:

• Butler Hospital will create the state’s first Brain Sciences Institute, which will support research, education and behavioral health treatment. In addition, the Butler campus would be sold or otherwise developed to fund a new Butler Hospital facility on or near the RIH campus
• Kent Hospital will apply to become a level II trauma center and will also seek to create an emergency medicine residency program. Together, these improvements will enhance statewide disaster responsiveness
• Women & Infants will retain its leadership role in neonatal and women’s reproductive health. There will also be a greater opportunity to develop services for conditions that disproportionately affect women and to maximize Women & Infants’ referral network and strong regional presence
• Continuation of Care New England’s VNA under the Lifespan system

Mixed responses to the merger plans include Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri (R-RI) who notes that the creation "of such a dominant healthcare network" raises "a number of important concerns" and  Lt. Governor Elizabeth H. Roberts, who states that she will "advocate for a focus on the core mission of hospitals to serve the public and recognize the importance of this proposal’s potential for economic growth in the state.”?