UnityPoint Health Methodist/Proctor

PEORIA — A new hospital chain could be coming to Peoria as UnityPoint Health explores giving control of its local facilities to Urbana-based Carle Health.

The move, which the hospital chains announced Monday via a news release, is only under exploration, with a potential decision coming by mid-to-late 2022.

It would affect UnityPoint's Methodist, Proctor and Pekin hospitals — more than 600 hospital beds and 850 physicians — as well as UnityPoint's affiliated clinics and Methodist College, according to the release.

"Today’s announcement is not a merger. We’re exploring new ways of working together. If new partnerships are finalized, UnityPoint Health’s central Illinois hospitals, clinics and other services would become part of Carle Health," said Jaymee Barra, a spokeswoman for UnityPoint Health in Peoria. 

The two systems have signed "nonbinding letters of intent" that outline how UnityPoint will explore how to fold their facilities and services into the Carle system. In addition, a second letter states the two groups will take a look at each other's operations to see how they can partner to maximize services and resources with "system-to-system opportunities for collaboration and efficiency."