The proposed acquisition by HCA Healthcare of Manchester, N.H.-based Catholic Medical Center will "merit a lot of close scrutiny," according to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella in an Oct. 23 Maine Public Radio report.
Concerns about maintaining adequate services and healthcare affordability in the light of any eventual merger between CMC and Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA will drive much of that scrutiny, according to the report.
A previous action by HCA in New Hampshire is contributing to the attorney general's increased attention to the planned CMC acquisition. HCA said last year it would close down the labor and delivery unit at Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester just two years after pledging to keep it open, the report said.
"There's no question that prior experiences with an organization will inform a review of a future transaction, and trust is really important," Mr. Formella told New Hampshire Public Radio in a recent interview cited in the report. "So I think it is safe to say that HCA has some work to do to continue to rebuild trust with the state."
Becker's has reached out to HCA for comment.