Southcoast Health and Care New England announced that each healthcare system has submitted the first of several regulatory filings necessary to move forward with a proposed affiliation.

The proposed affiliation between Southcoast Health and Care New England will create a new organization with the size and scale necessary to help better manage population health for patients, reduce the cost of care, invest in the latest technology, and attract the best doctors and providers, said Peter Cohenno, Public Information Officer at Southcoast Health.

This first filing was a Notice of Material Change submitted to the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission.

“This filing is the beginning of what will be a thorough regulatory review process in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and is an important next step toward affiliation,” said Keith A. Hovan, President & CEO of Southcoast Health.

Two additional regulatory filings are necessary in Massachusetts in order to move forward with the process—both to the Department of Public Health. One is for Health Facility Licensure and the other is for a Determination of Need.

“We are excited to have entered the regulatory phase with Care New England and are looking forward to a transparent process that provides opportunity for public hearings and community input,” said Hovan.

In addition, three filings will be required in Rhode Island: an application with the Department of Health for a Change in Effective Control (CEC), and two filings under the Hospital Conversions Act—one with the Attorney General and one with the Department of Health.

The filings in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island will include state-defined organizational information from both Southcoast Health and Care New England, as well as information regarding the proposed affiliation, said Cohenno.