Local medical centers in Cambria, Somerset and Blair Counties will be impacted by a corporate health care merger.

LifePoint Health, Inc., an owner of Conemaugh Health System, is merging with RCCH HealthCare Partners, which is owned Apollo Global Management, LLC.

The $5.6 billion deal was announced Monday.

Combined, the Tennessee-based companies are expected to bring in $8 billion and will have 7,000 physicians and 60,000 employees.

LifePoint will run 84 non-urban hospitals in 30 states, including Conemaugh Memorial, Miners, Meyersdale and Nason Medical Centers throughout central Pennsylvania.

In a statement to WTAJ, Conemaugh officials said, “The transaction should have no impact on the way patients access our hospital, physicians or other locations. Our priority and focus will continue to be providing high quality patient care.”

Patients had mixed reactions on what the merger could mean for their health care.

“The hospital, it’s doing great as it is. But, to merge with other people who want to come in and help who have stuff in here that we don’t have already, we really need that,” said Lisa Bloom, a Johnstown resident

“I just see people lining their pockets for themselves,” said Mike Sanford, another Johnstown resident. “I just don’t know. It depends who’s up at the top and how far it goes down to the bottom.”

The merger will take several months to finalize. LifePoint is also accepting acquisition proposals from other companies until the end of August.