Littleton (N.H.) Regional Healthcare signed a letter of intent on Sept. 12 with Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth Health to become a member of the system.
The process will now move forward with a regulatory review of the transaction from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, according to a Sept. 12 news release.
LRH, a 25-bed critical access hospital, entered into the search to affiliate with a larger system in early 2023. The process included a request for proposal, response reviews and selection of future partners that best aligned with its mission.
LRH and Dartmouth Health already have existing clinical service agreements for cardiology, dermatology, oncology and sleep medicine, including multiple programs that support telemedicine provider-to-provider consultation.
“This decision marks a major step forward for Littleton Regional Healthcare and for the communities we serve,” Robert Nutter, president and CEO of LRH, said in the release. “After careful review, discussion, and community-focused decision-making, our Board of Trustees has selected Dartmouth Health as our future system partner, and we are beginning exclusive negotiations toward full membership.”
In late July 2024, Dartmouth Health also added Claremont, N.H.-based Valley Regional Hospital, a 25-bed facility, to its network. Dartmouth Health is New Hampshire’s sole academic health system. It comprises more than 2,000 providers and multiple hospitals, clinics and care facilities.
