Proposed Merger Of 3 Providers Falls Through

A proposed merger between two major hospitals and a physicians group in Massachusetts will not happen. As Martha Bebinger reported for WBUR's Newscast Unit:

Top executives from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Lahey Hospital in Burlington and Atrius Health, the state's largest independent physician group, have decided not to merge.

The plan was to create a network that could compete with Partners HealthCare for market power, but with somewhat lower prices.

The talks broke down, in part, around questions about who would run and set the direction for the new organization.

In a notice to employees, the three organizations said they will continue to collaborate on the care of patients. Atrius, which includes Harvard Vanguard, will continue to use Beth Israel Deaconess and Lahey as the preferred hospitals for its patients.