SALT LAKE CITY — The proposed merger between Utah's Intermountain Healthcare with Sanford Health has been called off.
Sanford Health officials announced Friday the merger deal has been "indefinitely suspended."
Intermountain Healthcare would have acted as the parent company in the merger, although Sanford would have kept the name at some medical facilities.
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The move comes just a week after longtime Sanford president and CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft resigned from the company after 25 years.
In a statement, Sioux Falls-based Sanford officials said the decision was made to focus on other organization needs.
“With this leadership change, it’s an important time to refocus our efforts internally as we assess the future direction of our organization,” said Bill Gassen, Sanford's new president and CEO. " We continue to prioritize taking care of our patients, our people, and the communities we serve as we look to shape our path forward.”
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Gov. Gary Herbert helped facilitate merger talks when he introduced Krabbenhoft to Intermountain president and CEO Dr. Marc Harrison in the spring.
