Partners HealthCare to acquire RI’s Care New England

The owner of Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals said that it signed a letter of intent to exclusively negotiate a merger with Care New England Health System of Providence. The deal would include Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, which delivers the vast majority of babies in Rhode Island, as well as Kent Hospital in Warwick, Butler Hospital in Providence, a home care and hospice agency, and a mental health and addiction treatment center.