Arnot Health and Cayuga Health announced a formal merger under the name Centralus Health at separate events held Tuesday in Ithaca and Elmira.

Health care officials said the partnership, which will employ 6,500 workers and provide an estimated $1 billion in annual medical services, will transform services across the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes and Central New York.

The health systems started exploring a partnership in April 2023, and had since evaluated and discussed it.

“Together, we are strengthening our ability to offer a wider array of services, reach underserved populations, and invest in the future of healthcare delivery – locally,” Dr. Martin Stallone, CEO of Cayuga Health and Centralus Health said in a statement. “We are already planning for increased access to primary care in Chemung and Tompkins counties, while preparing for the upcoming launch of EPIC and MyChart to enhance patient care through technology.”

The electronic health record system EPIC will launch in March. It powers MyChart, a portal that will enable patients to digitally manage appointments and communicate with health care providers.

“As health systems face increasing financial and workforce challenges, this partnership enables us to leverage shared resources, increase efficiencies, and ultimately lower operational costs,” said Jonathan Lawrence, CEO of Arnot Health and executive vice president of Centralus Health.