SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) -- There are pros and cons to Tuesday’s announcement, where Baystate Health and Trinity Health of New England said they have signed a “definitive agreement” to transition Mercy Medical Center, its affiliates, and medical groups into Baystate Health.

One local primary care doctor says that this move could keep care close to home for thousands across the region, but he’s also warning patients that a bigger system could mean longer waits and fewer choices. Meanwhile, state and local leaders are praising the announcement, claiming that the alternative could have been mercy closing its doors completely.

Dr. Talal Khan, who runs an independent practice but has privileges at both Baystate and Mercy, says that moves like this are becoming more common across the country. In some ways, they can help these struggling systems survive.

Western Mass News spoke with Dr. Khan, who explains in part, “On the positive side, the mergers like this can stabilize struggling hospitals, in this case, Mercy, preserve access to care for underserved communities, and allow systems, like bigger systems, to pool their technology, staffing, and specialty services. So, in a region like ours, this kind of scale could mean better care coordination and more consistent quality across facilities.”

However, Dr. Khan says that the biggest question for patients is what they lose in the process; especially those who have relied on mercy for decades, or who just prefer Mercy’s approach to care.

He explained that consolidation can mean fewer options for patients, more centralized services, and longer wait times to see a doctor, “It could also reduce physician autonomy, and the services get centralized, which means that patients might have to travel further, and access times to seek specialists or to get into a primary care, which is already six months, can go up to almost a year.”

Dr. Khan says he doesn’t expect any immediate changes day-to-day, but patients should be prepared for more consolidation and less choice over time as this transition moves forward.

Trinity Health New England has posted additional details online here.