Atlantic Health, Newton Memorial Hospital agree to merge

Newton Memorial Hospital and Atlantic Health, which operates Morristown Memorial and Overlook in Summit, have agreed to a merger, company officials announced today.

"Atlantic Health and Newton Memorial have been in discussions since January, assessing how our hospitals might further partner to best serve current and future patients," Atlantic Health Chief Executive Officer Joseph A. Trunfio said in a press release. "Our respective boards have concluded a merger is the best option for us to meet the challenges of a changing health care landscape and to deliver the most services and best quality of care to our patients and region."

The merger is pending state and federal regulatory review, which could span several months.