Report: Providence considering merger that would create the biggest health system in the country

News Brief: Seattle-based Providence St. Joseph Health and St. Louis-based Ascension Health are in talks about a potential merger, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The organizations, both large non-profit healthcare providers, are also considering a range of different partnerships. If a merger were to happen, it would make the resulting company the largest healthcare provider in the U.S. with 197 hospitals and an annual revenue of  $44.8 billion. It’s just the latest in a series of moves towards consolidation in the healthcare industry, caused in part by disruption from technologies and the tech industry.