N.C. Attorney General seeks public comment on proposed Sentara/Cone Health merger

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is asking residents to share their thoughts about the proposed merger of Sentara Healthcare with Greensboro-based Cone Health.

Announced last August, the merger would combine the two health systems into a single non-profit provider based in Norfolk.

The Sentara Healthcare Board of Directors and Cone Health Board of Trustees each approved the terms of the merger in 2020.

The combined organization is subject to state and federal regulatory review and customary closing conditions and is anticipated to close this summer. Following that, it is expected to take up to two years to fully combine and integrate.

North Carolinians can email their input to ncago@ncdoj.gov no later than April 14, 2021. In the subject line of your email, please include either “Sentara” or “Cone” so that the message can be correctly routed.

“As Attorney General, protecting health care for North Carolinians is one of my top priorities,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “Your input is incredibly helpful to my office as we review this transaction. Please reach out to us and share your thoughts and experiences to help guide our work.”

Cone Health, a nonprofit health care system with locations throughout the Triad and surrounding counties, has notified our office of its intent to form a business combination with Sentara Healthcare, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization that operates hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina. As a result of the transaction, Sentara would gain control of Cone Health.

Under North Carolina law, the Attorney General reviews any transaction in which a charitable corporation – like Cone Health – sells a majority of its assets. Therefore, the Attorney General is reviewing the proposed combination between Cone Health and Sentara.

Our attorneys working on the review will read your comment and may contact you for further information.

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