Bert Fish Medical Center's overseers have chosen to negotiate exclusively with Florida Hospital, paving the way for a merger they say is vital to keeping the public hospital competitive. The Southeast Volusia Hospital District Board of Commissioners voted 4-2 on Monday night to begin exclusive negotiations with Florida Hospital, a not-for-profit provider, as opposed to Daytona Beach-based Halifax Health and Titusville-based Parrish Medical Center. Now, Bert Fish and Florida Hospital will begin ironing out the final details of a transaction, said Daryl Tol, a regional CEO over Florida Hospital's Volusia-Flagler market. That process could take months.
