Des Moines, Iowa — Executives with a major healthcare provider in Iowa and Illinois are exploring a merger with a New Mexico-based system.
Des Moines-based UnityPoint Health and Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque have signed a letter of intent to create a parent organization. It would manage the system in all three states, but keep the brand names on current facilities.
Four million patients are currently served by the two healthcare systems and 40,000 people are on the combined payrolls, including nearly 3,000 physicians. UnityPoint Health and Presbyterian Healthcare currently operate more than 40 hospitals and hundreds of clinics.
UnityPoint’s CEO says his company and the one in New Mexico are rooted in similar values and the merger would lower administrative costs.
In late 2019, UnityPoint and South Dakota-based Sanford Health ended months of negotiations and called off merger talks.
