Two of the three community health care systems that would have been acquired by Partners HealthCare enjoy good financial health, leading some to question the necessity of the mergers. Hallmark Health, South Shore Hospital and Emerson Hospital were all set to be acquired under a settlement agreement made with former Attorney General Martha Coakley until the newly-elected AG, Maura Healey, said she had concerns about it. A judge last week struck down the agreement, possibly derailing the whole plan. Of those, South Shore and Emerson hospitals both ended the most recent fiscal year with strong operating margins, leading some health care experts to question what benefits would have sprung from a merger.
