Lehigh Valley Health Network announced its merger is complete with Jefferson Health Thursday afternoon at its Cedar Crest campus in Allentown.

LVHN and Jefferson announced in December 2023 that they signed a letter of intent to combine. They reached a definitive agreement earlier this year.

The merger comes with an initial name change — Lehigh Valley Health Network, proudly part of Jefferson Health.

Dr. Brian Nester, now serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Jefferson and president of Lehigh Valley Health Network, said the idea for the merger came up after the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.

“Today we look forward together to begin to forge the future of health care. I know that sounds impossible that two organizations in mid-Atlantic states in America to do that, but we really can. When two health systems come together both nationally recognized by U.S. World Reports and join forces, it creates one strong organization poised to give more access, more expertise, more options, and above all exceptional care to our patients,” Nester said.

With the transaction complete, LVHN is now part of Jefferson Health. The combing of the two health networks into one system places it in the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the United States.

Jefferson Health is primarily located in the Philadelphia region and is affiliated with Thomas Jefferson University, which includes the Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce.

“Together, we will offer the communities that we serve the highest quality of care to over 700 sites of care, 32 hospitals and countless associates. The number of associates is more impressive than anything, 65,000 colleagues today all strong and part of this family now. That is a lot of concentrated impact that we can make and our patients and are communities will be the beneficiaries,” said Dr. Joseph Cacchione, chief executive officer of Jefferson.

As the combined organization moves forward to integrate clinical care, operations, and brand identity, patients will have seamless access to their health care, while broadening their network of specialists “who will collaborate and innovate to bring groundbreaking technology and treatments close to home,” a news release stated.

The merger will also offer current and future clinicians new educational and development opportunities with expanded career growth, as well as position the health system to attract the best and brightest clinicians. The news release also stated the merger will give people access to Jefferson Health Plans, which is an affordable health plan option to help vulnerable populations receive health care to enable them to avoid stays in the hospital.