SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. - Harrington Healthcare system is now officially a part of the UMass Memorial Health system.

On Thursday, the organizations marked their merger with a ceremony at Harrington Hospital in Southbridge -- now called UMass Memorial Health Harrington.

In early 2020, Harrington Healthcare System board members voted to pursue an agreement with UMass Memorial Health.

The affiliation will allow for more investments in areas like improving behavioral health and psychiatric care. 

"I wish all healthcare institutions like UMass and Harrington understood that when we talk about healthcare, we have to embrace physical and behavioral health care and Harrington and UMass have never shied away,” said Marylou Sudders, Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “When they think about health, they think about whole health. You can’t segregate physical and behavioral health care."

"We will invest $4 million in Southbridge and surrounding communities to get those zip code disparities I've discussed and to help move us forward to greater equity in health,” said Doug Brown, President of Community Hospitals UMass Memorial Health.

The merger will bring the overall systems staff to more than 15,000 caregivers.