“We’re looking at this as a merger of equals. If you look at our systems, we are very equal, so we want to use the strengths and levers of each system to make the new entity even better,” Rathgaber said.

If they were to merge, Gundersen Health System and Marshfield Clinic Health System would have more than 19,000 employees, 13 hospitals and more than 100 clinics, which includes medical clinics, eye centers, dental centers, urgent-care locations and pharmacies.

“It will make us one of the larger rural health care systems in the country,” Rathgaber said.

He didn’t anticipate layoffs any time soon due to the possible merger.

“What’s really nice is that the two systems are contiguous by geography, but we don’t overlap very much. It’d be a different conversation if we were overlapping and in the same markets,” Rathgaber said.

Both systems have their own patients to take care of, and they will all continue to need care.

“We’ll certainly be looking at where we can have efficiencies, but we’re looking at this and we need our dedicated staff to care for our patients and continue to do that throughout the discussion and beyond if the discussions come to fruition,” he said.