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Our Take: An uptick in health system collaborations and affiliations

October 27, 2025

Feature: Mid-October brings an uptick in health system collaborations and affiliations

As we venture into the home stretch of 2025, some interesting partnerships between and among health systems and other industry stakeholders are developing. Here, we highlight several noteworthy alliances that could have a significant impact and provide news about a couple of potential affiliations.

Possibly the most far-reaching collaboration is one between Providence and Humana. The two are working together on a model designed to facilitate the exchange of data between providers and payers.

They describe the model as “a scalable ecosystem for seamless, secure, and standardized data sharing” with a framework that incorporates HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources standards, Da Vinci Project Implementation Guides and “modern” application programming interfaces.

“The health care industry is overwhelmed by fragmented, inconsistent data formats that make care coordination costly and slow,” said Michael Westover, Providence’s vice president of population health informatics. “Because we want to be successful in value-based care contracts, Humana and Providence are building a shared foundation of administrative, financial, and clinical data using national standards and modern technology.”

The model is set to go live this month, starting with automated member attribution for Humana Medicare Advantage members, according to the announcement. This first phase will ensure that providers at Providence can quickly and accurately identify patients under their care, while eliminating manual processes and improving care coordination, the organizations said.

Expanded data exchange capabilities in subsequent phases will further ease administrative burden and support clinical decision making.

Providence and Humana were among the organizations that agreed to adopt CMS’ interoperability pledge in July. They believe their framework can serve as a model that other providers and payers will be able to replicate.

In M&A-related news, New York City-based Montefiore Health System signed a letter of intent with Garnet Health, a three-hospital system based in Middletown, N.Y., for Garnet to join Montefiore through a strategic affiliation.

Garnet’s affiliation with Montefiore would expand access to clinical services and specialty care for more than half a million residents Garnet serves in New York’s Orange and Sullivan countries and surrounding areas. Montefiore, an academic system affiliated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has 10 hospitals and more than 200 outpatient sites.

“Garnet Health has always been deeply committed to meeting the health care needs of our community,” said Virginia Rizzo, who chairs Garnet’s board of directors. “Our affiliation with Montefiore Health System will only help to strengthen that commitment by expanding access to high-quality, exceptional care close to home.”

After conducting due diligence, the organizations hope to finalize definitive agreements by the end of the year. They did not indicate a timeline for for competing the affiliation, which would require regulatory approval.

Meanwhile, an affiliation between Corvallis, Ore.-based Samaritan Health Services and Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System is moving forward, having gained the approval of both systems’ boards of directors.

The two nonprofit health systems plan to sign a formal affiliation agreement “in the coming weeks” and expect to complete the affiliation, through which Samaritan will become part of MultiCare, by the middle of next year.

“This affiliation represents an important step in securing the future of nonprofit health care in our region,” said Marty Cahill, Samaritan’s CEO. “Our commitment has always been to remain a community-based, mission-driven organization, and this partnership strengthens that promise for decades to come.

“Together, we will expand access, invest in the technology and services our communities need, and do so while keeping care nonprofit and locally governed,” he added. “We are excited and honored to become MultiCare’s first health system in Oregon and to bring the benefits of MultiCare’s expertise home to the communities we serve.”

MultiCare has agreed to invest resources over the next decade to modernize Samaritan’s facilities, expand primary and specialty care, and introduce new technologies and telehealth, according to the press release.

Samaritan has five community hospitals, more than 100 clinics, and multiple health plans. MultiCare has 13 hospitals in Washington and more than 300 primary, urgent, pediatric, and specialty care locations across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon.

In other news, CancerX, a public-private partnership established two years ago to accelerate digital innovation in cancer care, announced that it is shifting to a new consortium leadership model. Five “anchor” member organizations will oversee development of the consortium’s strategy and programming, though only two have been named as founding anchor members: Tampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center and Advocate Health.

Both Moffitt and Advocate have been involved with CancerX since its inception. More than 150 oncology-focused organizations are now part of the CancerX community, including health systems, startups, life sciences companies, technology innovators, and advocacy groups.

“Our goal with this new leadership model is to empower members to shape initiatives that have real impact for cancer care and innovation,” said Xavier Avat, chief business officer at Moffitt. “This multi-stakeholder consortium will enable different parts of the ecosystem to contribute significantly to shaping the future of digital oncology innovation nationally and globally.”

In yet another collaborative initiative, five more health systems have become part of the Abundant Alliance network: Endeavor Health, based in Evanston, Ill.; Henry Ford Health, based in Detroit; Nemours Children’s Health, based in Jacksonville, Fla.; Northwestern Medicine, based in Chicago; and Rush University System for Health, also based in Chicago.

Six months ago, Abundant Venture Partners launched a collaboration platform to accelerate commercialization of “high-potential health care ventures” through its venture studio. Members of the Abundant Alliance network, which now includes 22 provider organizations, serve as “co-developers, early adopters, and aligned owners of opportunities” discovered through the platform.

Abundant said in the news release that it plans to choose up to eight additional health care organizations to participate in the Alliance network.

And our final mention is a collaboration underway between GE Healthcare and two health systems: Durham, N.C.-based Duke University Health System and Honolulu-based Queen’s Health Systems.

Duke and Queen’s Health will contribute their frontline expertise to assist the medtech behemoth in developing its hospital operations software, which will use artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to recommend actions across areas such as bed demand, staffing, and equipment.

The new app, which will run on GE Healthcare’s CareIntellect cloud-first infrastructure, will base its recommendations on insights obtained from nearly 500 hospitals and medical facilities that use Command Center, the company’s current AI-driven software that helps hospitals manage patient flow, streamline operations, and make data-driven decisions in real time, according to a press release.

What else you need to know

Hologic, a medtech diagnostics company based in Marlborough, Mass., has agreed to be acquired by private equity firms Blackstone and TPG in a deal worth up to $18.3 billion. Hologic develops, manufactures, and supplies diagnostics, imaging systems, and surgical devices, with a focus on women’s health. The company’s Genius AI Detection technology incorporates artificial intelligence to assist with the interpretation of imaging results. If the PE firms complete the acquisition, Hologic shareholders will receive up to $76 per share in cash and a contingent value right (CVR) potentially valued at $3 per share. The CVR would be paid in two payments if Hologic’s breast health business attains certain revenue goals. The deal includes “significant minority investments” from a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and an affiliate of Government of Singapore Investment Corp. Hologic’s board unanimously approved the acquisition, which is expected to close in the first half of next year if shareholders and regulators also approve and other customary closing conditions are met.

Health systems appear to be changing their view of primary care, valuing it more as a strategic priority rather than mostly a means to increase specialist referrals, according to Bain & Co. “[P]rimary care is now being positioned as central to patient experience and clinical quality as well as cost management — with 77% of executives planning to expand their primary care footprint by adding more owned practices and employing more primary care providers over the next five to seven years,” the management consulting firm stated in a press release.

The findings are based on health system executives’ responses to a June survey, which also revealed that while most health systems still rely heavily on fee-for-service reimbursement, leadership anticipates a shift toward population-focused clinics with value-based reimbursement in years to come. The survey respondents also said they expect to see adoption of AI-driven solutions accelerate in the next three years, particularly in the areas of e-prescribing, appointment scheduling, and telehealth. When asked about their near-term priorities, the executives named workforce shortages as their greatest concern in the decade ahead, according to Bain, exceeding concerns about financial sustainability, patient experience, and technology.

Cost Plus Drugs will participate in TrumpRx, founder Mark Cuban revealed at the 2025 HLTH conference in Las Vegas. The federal website, which is set to launch early next year according to various reports, will let people search for direct-to-consumer drug websites, where they can buy prescription drugs at discounted rates without insurance. Cuban said he hopes that participating on the website will increase Cost Plus Drugs’ visibility and sales, which would allow the company to lower its costs and pass along the savings to customers through lower drug prices.

The Pharmacy-Based Access Work Group has published guiding principles for state policy on pharmacy personnel-administered vaccines. The group, a coalition of 13 organizations representing diverse pharmacy practice settings, noted in a press release that in many states the authority for pharmacists and other pharmacy personnel to administer vaccines is tied to recommendations from federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA. In light of evolving federal processes and shifting advisory structures, the group encouraged state legislators “to eliminate rigidity in statutory requirements regarding ordering or administering vaccines, which may prevent patients from accessing vaccination. … By establishing clear, flexible policy for pharmacy personnel-administered vaccines, policymakers can ensure that patients will not face disruption or delay in obtaining life-saving immunizations, strengthening both individual and public health.”

California will begin selling low-cost insulin pens under its own label, starting Jan. 1, 2026. CalRx biosimilar insulin glargine pens will be priced at a maximum cost of $11 per pen in a five-pack, according to a press release from the governor’s office. The pens will be manufactured and supplied by Biocon Biologics through an agreement secured by Civica Rx. In states other than California, Civica Rx will distribute and sell the pens under a separate Civica label. In a news release announcing an expanded partnership with Civica, Biocon Biologics said it will continue to commercialize its own insulin glargine-yfgn, a biosimilar approved in July 2021 that is interchangeable with Sanofi’s Lantus.

Executive moves

Longitude Health, a collaborative initiative founded a year ago by Baylor Scott & White Health, Memorial Hermann Health System, Novant Health, and Providence, has appointed Dr. Vishal Agrawal as its CEO. Longitude Health’s founding CEO, Paul Mango, died in January. Since then, Brett Moraski has served as interim CEO. (Michigan Medicine joined Longitude Health as a new founding member in May.)

NewYork-Presbyterian announced that Dr. Stephen Corwin will step down as president and CEO in January after 14 years. Dr. Brian Donley, a senior executive at Cleveland Clinic before joining NewYork-Presbyterian in 2023 as executive vice president and chief operating officer, will succeed Dr. Corwin. Louisville, Ky.-based

UofL Health has named Dr. Jason Smith as its new CEO. Dr. Smith, who most recently served as the academic health system’s chief medical officer, has been the interim CEO since June, when Tom Miller, UofL’s inaugural CEO, stepped down.