Northern Kentucky hospital merger slow going

A year after announcing a preliminary merger deal, merging two of the largest hospitals in Northern Kentucky is proving more difficult than expected. St. Elizabeth Medical Center and St. Luke Hospitals are still trying to satisfy federal regulators that the combination wouldn't give them monopoly powers. Representatives from both hospitals are confident the merger will be approved, and say that although the combination would dominate Northern Kentucky it would hold only about 15 percent market share in the entire region.