Northwell and Nuvance Health merger approved by Connecticut

The state of Connecticut has approved the merger of Northwell Health and Nuvance Health, making Northwell the parent company of Nuvance’s hospitals, care sites and providers across Connecticut and the Hudson Valley.

Long Island-based Northwell, New York's largest health care provider, which operates 21 hospitals and employs more than 85,000 people, according to its website, first filed a Certificate of Need with Nuvance in May, which is required for a health care system to merge with another group or expand.

Nuvance, a significantly smaller system, operates seven hospitals, with four in Connecticut and three upstate. The merger marks Northwell's first foray outside New York State.

“This partnership opens a new and exciting chapter for Northwell and Nuvance Health and provides an incredible opportunity to enhance both health systems and take patient care and services to an even higher level,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell, in a statement.

The deal between the two health care providers is contingent upon Northwell investing at least $1 billion across Nuvance’s hospitals over the next five years, according to Connecticut's Office of Health Strategy, which announced Tuesday it had given the merger the green light.

Together, the group will operate 28 hospital locations, more than 1,000 care sites and 14,500 providers across New York and Connecticut. The combined group is estimated to have $20 billion in revenue.

Nuvance will also adopt Northwell’s financial assistance policies, as well as provide alternative payment models and improve access to primary care. Other conditions for the merger include the unified system expanding maternity and women’s health services at Sharon Hospital in Connecticut for five years, as well as maintaining the staffing and array of services at Putnam Hospital for at least one year. 

“By joining forces with Northwell Health, we can strengthen and enhance our ability to meet the needs of patients across Connecticut and the Hudson Valley for generations to come," said Dr. John M. Murphy, Nuvance president and CEO. 

Murphy told Newsday in 2024 that Nuvance wanted to merge with a larger group to find stability after suffering economic setbacks due to both COVID-19 and competition from other providers. Nuvance reported losses of $164.2 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2023, while Northwell posted gains of $915.2 million in 2023.

"This is a transformative moment for our patients, our employees and the communities we proudly serve," Murphy said.