CHI St. Vincent in Little Rock and Conway Regional Health System should have an alliance in place by the end of February.
Peter Banko, CEO of CHI St. Vincent, declined on Tuesday to offer specific details of the arrangement.
But he said the alliance would “improve the health of Faulkner County and surrounding communities, improve the quality and lower the cost of care.”
On Dec. 8, both health care organizations announced that they were extending their letter of intent, which they signed in July, to the end of the year.
Banko said that the letter of intent has been extended another 60 days which will “allow us time to dot the I’s and cross the T’s on our agreement of our affiliation.”
Banko portrayed the move as nearly a done deal.
“I don’t want to jinx us but … we’re of like mind and have agreement on our path,” he said. “So barring something that I don’t see right now, we’re going to be moving forward.”
Conway Regional said in October 2013 that it was exploring “potential strategic affiliation options,” including partnering with another health care provider or system. In May, its board of directors said it was in talks with St. Vincent.
Baptist Health System of Little Rock is also entering the fast-growing Conway market with a 216,000-SF, 96-bed hospital expected to open in 2016.
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