After nearly three years and $8 million spent on outside expertise, Rhode Island's two biggest hospital systems will not merge, after all. Frustrated officials from Lifespan and Care New England--systems with four and three hospitals, respectively--say that the regulatory process was taking too long. Regulators, on the other hand, say that it's the hospitals who are gumming up the process. Lifespan president and CEO George Vecchione called what happened "deal fatigue." Either way, questions now remain as to how hospital services in that state will be organized. Article