by
John R. Fischer, Senior Reporter | October 31, 2023
Lifespan's Rhode Island Hospital (Photo courtesy of Lifespan)
Under an expanded partnership with Brown University, Rhode Island’s largest hospital group Lifespan may change its name to Brown Health.
The expanded partnership was approved by both organizations’ boards, which said that it would reflect their joint goal to “strengthen the existing affiliation and licensing agreements” between them,
reported local TV news outlet Target 12.
They are also seeking to expand access to care and increase economic development through the newly established Rhode Island Life Sciences Hub, which will oversee the development of medical advances and scientific findings with medical device and biomedical technology companies, and others specializing in medical therapeutic therapies, biogenetics, biomedical engineering, biopharmaceuticals, genomics, and life sciences. Lifespan and Brown have supported its creation, along with the second-largest RI hospital group Care New England.
“The discussions between Brown and Lifespan reflect an ongoing shared commitment to aligning the strengths of both institutions, bolstering the connections between and across delivery of care, medical training, and biomedical research,” wrote Brown president Christina Paxson in an email to staff and students.
Formed in 1994, Lifespan is a not-for-profit in Providence composed of three teaching hospitals, the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital and its Hasbro Children's Hospital, and The Miriam Hospital. It also includes Bradley Hospital, the nation’s first psychiatric hospital for children; Newport Hospital, Gateway Healthcare, the state’s largest community behavioral healthcare provider; Lifespan Physician Group, the largest multispecialty practice in Rhode Island; and primary care provider Coastal Medical.
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University is located on the college campus and is the only medical school in the state. Brown, which has a $6.6 billion endowment, is also working with Lifespan to create more jobs, improve access to primary and specialty care, and form environments that promote medical education.
The current agreement between Brown and Lifespan expires at the end of December. The two would remain independent nonprofit organizations, said Paxson in her email, stressing that Brown’s affiliation with other organizations, including Care New England, “remains vital to the medical school’s teaching, clinical care, community engagement, and research missions.”
Lifespan and Care New England were previously in talks to merge last year, but opposition from the Rhode Island attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission led them to
abandon the deal.
Lifespan, Brown, and Care New England will continue working together through a research collaboration, the Brown Innovation and Research Collaborative for Health (BIRCH).
The expanded agreement between Lifespan and Brown will be worked out over the next few months.
