Brown University Health


Brown University Health is an American not-for-profit, academic health system headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. Created in 1994 by the affiliation of Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital, it operates an integrated network of hospitals, outpatient centers, and physician practices serving Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. The system is the principal teaching affiliate of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
In June 2024, Brown University and the system announced expanded affiliation agreements under which Lifespan would rebrand as Brown University Health, accompanied by a $150 million university investment over seven years and governance changes; the public-facing rebrand began in October 2024. Both organizations remain separate and independent entities.
In 2024 the system broadened its regional footprint when it acquired Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton from Steward Health Care, returning both to nonprofit status under newly formed Massachusetts subsidiaries.

History

The system was founded in 1994 as Lifespan through the affiliation of Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital, creating Rhode Island's first integrated hospital network. In 1996 Bradley Hospital, a psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents, joined the system, followed by Newport Hospital in 1997.

Affiliations and disaffiliation (1997–2002)

In 1997 New England Medical Center in Boston affiliated with Lifespan; the relationship ended in 2002. Subsequent litigation in federal court described the affiliation as "brief and unsuccessful," ultimately resulting in judgments addressing both parties' claims arising from the disaffiliation agreement and fiduciary duties of the parent to a member hospital.

Growth, governance, and information systems (2010s)

In 2012 the system consolidated governance by merging separate hospital boards into a single Lifespan board of directors. Lifespan Physician Group, the system's employed multi-specialty practice, was established in 2012. The system went live on an Epic electronic health record branded "LifeChart" in April 2015, introducing the MyLifespan patient portal to unify records across hospitals and clinics. Coastal Medical, which joined the system in 2021, migrated onto the Epic platform in February 2024 as part of system-wide integration.

COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021)

In late 2020 Rhode Island converted the Rhode Island Convention Center into a 600-bed alternate hospital site operated by Lifespan to expand inpatient capacity during COVID-19 surges, while a second site in Cranston was run by Care New England. On December 14, 2020, Lifespan received its first shipment of approximately 3,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine and began vaccinating high-risk front-line workers at its hospitals.

Merger discussions with Care New England (2017–2022)

After Boston-based Partners HealthCare sought to acquire Care New England Health System in 2017, Brown University publicly opposed the proposal in January 2018 and supported a locally governed alternative. Partners withdrew in 2019 as Care New England reopened talks with Lifespan and Brown about an integrated academic health system. A formal Lifespan–CNE merger proposal backed by Brown advanced in 2021 but was blocked in February 2022 by the Rhode Island Attorney General; the Federal Trade Commission also initiated an administrative complaint and sought a preliminary injunction in federal court.

Leadership changes (2022–2023)

Timothy J. Babineau stepped down as president and CEO effective May 31, 2022. John Fernandez, previously president of Mass Eye and Ear and of Mass General Brigham Integrated Care, was appointed Lifespan's fourth president and CEO in November 2022 and assumed the role in early 2023.

Rebranding and regional expansion (2024–present)

On June 20, 2024, Brown University and Lifespan announced expanded affiliation agreements under which the system would rebrand as Brown University Health. The agreements included a $150 million Brown University investment over seven years, after which the system will make ongoing $15 million annual investments to the Warren Alpert Medical School; Brown's Investment Office would also manage approximately $600–$800 million of Lifespan's investment portfolio. Governance terms designated the medical school dean as the system's chief academic officer and made the Brown University president and the dean ex officio members of the health-system board. Both organizations remained separate and independent entities not undergoing a corporate merger. The public-facing rebrand rolled out in mid-October 2024, with updated website, signage, and digital assets.
As part of Massachusetts' transition plan following Steward Health Care's bankruptcy, state officials announced on August 29, 2024, that Lifespan would acquire Saint Anne’s Hospital and Morton Hospital. A Massachusetts bankruptcy court approved the sales in early September; operations transferred on October 1, 2024, to newly formed nonprofit subsidiaries. Public documents indicated an aggregate purchase price of $175 million, with additional short-term operational support arrangements during the transition; the new owner stated it had no immediate plans to change existing services at closing.

Organization

Brown University Health is organized as a regional academic health system made up of hospitals, specialty facilities, and affiliated physician groups in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Member institutions include:
  • Rhode Island Hospital – a 719-bed tertiary care hospital in Providence and the principal teaching hospital of the Alpert Medical School; services include the state's only Level I trauma center and accredited burn center and a Joint Commission–certified Comprehensive Stroke Center.
  • Hasbro Children's Hospital – an 87-bed pediatric hospital co-located with Rhode Island Hospital; verified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level I pediatric trauma center and home to the region's only dedicated pediatric emergency department.
  • The Miriam Hospital – a 247-bed hospital in Providence, recognized seven consecutive times by the Magnet Recognition Program for nursing excellence.
  • Bradley Hospital – a 70-bed psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents in East Providence, founded in 1931 and recognized as the nation's first psychiatric hospital devoted exclusively to children.
  • Newport Hospital – a 129-bed community hospital in Newport; its Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center holds Baby-Friendly designation from the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
  • Saint Anne’s Hospital – a 196-bed Catholic hospital in Fall River founded in 1906 by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation; joined the system in October 2024 when Brown University Health acquired Saint Anne's and Morton Hospitals from Steward Health Care. The ICU has received Beacon Award recognition from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
  • Morton Hospital – a 144-bed acute care community hospital in Taunton offering emergency care, imaging, wound care, and a range of surgical services; acquired alongside Saint Anne's in October 2024.
  • Gateway Healthcare – Rhode Island's largest nonprofit behavioral health provider, with statewide outpatient, residential, and community-based programs; affiliates include FRIENDS WAY, The Autism Project, and Capital City Community Centers.
  • Brown Health Medical Group – a large multi-specialty physician practice network with 1,000+ providers across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts; care is integrated on a single Epic electronic health record with patient access via MyChart.

    Education and research

Brown University Health is the exclusive teaching affiliate of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Rhode Island Hospital is designated the principal teaching hospital; The Miriam Hospital and Bradley Hospital are major teaching affiliates; and Newport Hospital is a community teaching affiliate. The hospitals serve as primary clinical sites for approximately 175 third- and fourth-year Brown medical students each year. Across Brown's seven affiliated teaching hospitals, the medical school reports "more than 100" residency and fellowship programs and about 706 residents and 77 fellowship programs in total.
Educational infrastructure includes the Brown University Health Medical Simulation Center, a ~4,200-square-foot facility in the Coro Center used by medical students, residents, nurses, and EMS personnel for team-based and procedural training; pediatric emergency medicine faculty co-lead simulation activities system-wide.
The system reported about $145 million in external research funding in 2023. In fiscal year 2024, "research funding revenue" totaled $154.5 million system-wide, with Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, and Bradley Hospital each reporting research revenues in their institutional summaries. Research support resources include the Brown University Health Clinical Research Center in the Coro complex and the BERDI core, which provide study coordination, regulatory assistance, data management, and analytic support for clinical trials and translational projects. Brown University Health is a partner in the statewide Advance RI-CTR consortium, which funds pilots and expands clinical and translational research capacity across Rhode Island.
Major research and clinical centers include:
  • Brown University Health Cancer Institute, which coordinates oncology services and clinical trials across hospitals.
  • Cardiovascular Institute, integrating cardiology and cardiac surgery programs and serving as a hub for cardiovascular clinical trials.
  • Orthopedics Institute, combining orthopedic services across multiple hospitals, including high-volume joint programs and subspecialty services.
  • Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute, a consortium of hospitals and Brown University advancing neurology, neurosurgery, and behavioral health research and education.
  • Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, focused on child and adolescent health, development, and mental health research.