Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem will continue their fight to merge despite a recent court ruling that weakened their case.
“We look forward to a positive resolution-paving the way for an innovative care delivery model to further advance quality and lower costs,” the health systems said in a joint statement.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Trade Commission, which is fighting to block the union, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The announcement comes after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last month that an earlier decision in the lower U.S. District Court not to pause the proposed merger over antitrust concerns was “erroneously flawed.” The systems and the FTC have sparred over how they each defined the north suburban Chicago hospital market and how the systems' marriage would affect employers, patients and insurers.
An FTC administrative hearing that was slated to begin on Nov. 21 has been delayed.
