Partners HealthCare and Care New England (CNE) Health System of Providence, R.I. announced last Friday that they have entered into a “definitive agreement” to have CNE become part of Partners. In April, the two systems signed a “letter of intent” through which CNE agreed to negotiate exclusively with Partners. The definitive agreement represents a more formal document that will outline the details and plans for the actual transaction. After that document is made final, the systems will seek state and federal approval for the deal. The parts of Care New England covered under the definitive agreement are: Kent Hospital in Warwick; Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island in Providence; the VNA of Care New England, based in Warwick; Butler Hospital in Providence; and The Providence Center (mental health and addiction treatment services) in several Rhode Island locations. The media release announcing the agreement also noted: “Under the proposal, the strong educational and research relationship that CNE has fostered with Brown University will continue to play a critical role in the healthcare landscape and its future development.”