Physician-Owned Arizona Cardiology Group to Merge With Vanguard

Arizona Heart Institute, a physician-owned cardiology group based in Phoenix, has signed a letter of intent to merge with Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanguard Health Systems, which operates the five-hospital Abrazo Health Care system, according to a report in The Arizona Republic.


No details about the merger have been release by either group. The Heart Institute, which operated several satellite offices, has closed five locations over the past year, including one last Friday in Surprise, Ariz., according to the report. Currently, physicians in the group see patients at its clinics and the Arizona Heart Hospital. There is no indication that physicians would discontinue services at the hospital in the report.

Arizona Heart Institute has also faced some legal hurdles as it has been sued by two vendors in the past year.

Read the Republic's report on Arizona Heart Institute.

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