Northwell Health, Nuvance Health complete merger, forming $22.6B hospital system

Northwell Health and Nuvance Health have completed one of the larger hospital mergers in recent years.

With the deal complete after more than a year of work, Nuvance has now joined Northwell. The merged organization now operates 28 hospitals and more than 1,000 healthcare locations in New York and Connecticut. The unified system boasts $22.6 billion in revenue and more than 100,000 employees.

Nuvance, which includes seven hospitals in western Connecticut and New York’s Hudson Valley, had been struggling financially. Officials say the deal will ensure the long-term future of its hospitals and clinics. Regulators secured commitments from Northwell to maintain services, and Northwell has pledged to invest $1 billion into Nuvance’s facilities over the next five years.

Both Northwell and Nuvance executives say the deal will expand healthcare opportunities. Northwell had grown into New York’s largest health system even before adding Nuvance to the system.

Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, said it’s “an exciting time.”

“This is the coming together of two health systems, and it's an opportunity to bring together the talents and the skills and the commitment and the passion of two wonderful organizations to extend care to a much broader audience and a much broader territory,” Dowling said.

Dr. John M. Murphy, president and CEO of Nuvance Health, said the move would be good for patients and Nuvance’s employees.

“We're delighted that the day has finally arrived where Nuvance and Northwell come together,” Murphy said.

“We're joining Northwell, and we look forward to it in every way, both in terms of what it will do for our employees, what it will do for our patients and their families and our communities,” he said. “We look forward to working together, learning from each other, but delivering more for our communities in a way that really does improve quality. I think it improves access and ensures our sustainability for many years to come.”

Nuvance’s hospitals and facilities will retain their existing names, but they will eventually also carry the Northwell brand.

“We think that the care will continue to be delivered in contemporary, safe, attractive facilities, and they will bear the Northwell name … It will still be a Danbury Hospital or a Vassar Brothers (Medical Center), but part of Northwell Health,” Murphy said.

A nonprofit system, Northwell says the merged system will continue to provide care for all patients regardless of their ability to pay.

“We're able to provide all care from birth to end of life, completely comprehensive, all integrated, all working together in a seamless way,” Dowling said. “And that will benefit patients, it will benefit employees, and it will benefit the economy of the communities that we're in.”

The attorneys general of New York and Connecticut approved the merger, along with state health officials in both states.

Northwell has agreed to maintain all inpatient clinical services and to recognize collective bargaining agreements. Northwell has also committed to expanding primary care, investing in a unified electronic health records system, and improving cybersecurity at Nuvance’s facilities.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said last month that Northwell’s agreement with state officials “benefits patients and providers, while strengthening and stabilizing healthcare throughout Western Connecticut.”

Northwell and Nuvance first announced their intention to come together in February 2024. Nuvance had experienced several years of financial losses and determined in 2023 that the system needed to join with a larger partner, the Connecticut attorney general’s office noted.

The Northwell-Nuvance merger is one of a handful of deals over the past 18 months involving two health systems with over $1 billion in revenue. Industry analysts say there could be fewer hospital mergers this year, due to cuts in federal aid and uncertainty in the economy.