On Thursday, New England Baptist Hospital announced it had signed a letter of intent to explore joining Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Lahey Health in creating a combined healthcare system. BIDMC and Lahey had announced at the end of January that they were exploring a merger. Adding New England Baptist is a logical fit as the hospital specializing in orthopedic care currently has a joint venture with BIDMC and is a member of the Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization (BIDCO) network. Various state and federal regulators must review and approve any sort of merger.