Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers, based in Evergreen Park, is negotiating a merger with Peoria-based OSF HealthCare.

The two Catholic organizations said Wednesday they have begun a period of exclusive negotiations and expect to complete a merger in early 2020. They said they will spend the next several months working out final agreements and seeking regulatory and church approvals. Financial terms were not reported.

Besides its 252-bed hospital at 2800 W. 95th Street in Evergreen Park, Little Company of Mary’s network includes 11 other medical offices and outpatient centers, mostly in the Southwest Suburbs.

OSF includes 13 hospitals primarily in central Illinois, plus 113 other care centers. It is run by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.

The merger would give Little Company of Mary access to new technology from a much larger partner. OSF, meanwhile, would gain a base in the Chicago area.

“As health care continues to evolve, we have the responsibility to ensure that we are planning for the future — both in terms of technology and innovation as well as preserving Catholic health care,” said Dr. John Hanlon, president and CEO of Little Company of Mary.

Bob Sehring, CEO of OSF, said, “We have long admired the strong Catholic heritage and commitment to the gift of life demonstrated by Little Company of Mary, and believe that, together, we can create better health and deliver value for our communities.”

In April 2018, Little Company of Mary and the Rush System for Health called off a merger without explanation. Rush has since entered into merger discussions with Swedish Covenant Health.