Hackensack University Health Network, Meridian Health announce plans to merge

Two New Jersey hospital networks say they are planning to merge.

Meridian Health and Hackensack University Health Network officials said Thursday that they have signed a memorandum of understanding and are working toward a merger. They said it could be four months before they have a final agreement.

That would need to be approved by regulators.

The new organization would be known as Hackensack Meridian Health and share a board made up of an equal number of trustees from each.