As part of a multi-agency review, a public hearing is being held in Danbury this afternoon about the planned merger of Western Connecticut Health Network and Health Quest Systems. 

Government in Connecticut, New York and Washington, D.C. are looking into the agreement to create a medical system.  Network spokeswoman Andrea Rynn says this will allow them to add new services such as pediatric specialties and certain types of cancer treatments.  Officials say the individual hospital names will not change and expected layoffs will come from redundant positions at the department head level. 

The hearing on the yet-to-be-named network is at 3:30pm at Broadview Middle School.  The $2.4 billion medical system would serve 1.5 million people. 

The new network, would add Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie and Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel to hospitals in Danbury, Norwalk and New Milford.  The partnership comes after Western Connecticut Health Network teamed up with New York-based Northwell Health to leverage purchasing power.