Cadence Health and Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (NMHC) have agreed to discuss forming an integrated academic healthcare delivery system. Cadence Health is the corporate parent of Central DuPage Hospital and Delnor Hospital, and NMHC owns Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital.

Dean M. Harrison, NMHC president and CEO, who would continue to lead the combined health system, said, "A merger of our health systems would combine Cadence Health's strong portfolio of primary and specialty care with our strength as one of the nation's leading academic medical centers, to create a preeminent integrated academic health system that benefits all residents, regardless of their ability to pay, by giving them increased access to physicians, clinical trials and Northwestern University research programs, as well as integrated primary, secondary and advanced tertiary services."

The new health system will operate under the Northwestern Medicine brand name and its governance will include equal representation from Cadence Health and NMHC.

"We believe this merger will create a multi-regional health system focused on the singular vision of providing high-quality care with an unwavering patient focus," said Mike Vivoda, president and CEO, Cadence Health, who will become regional president for NMHC.