Bradley S. Chambers became the new president of both MedStar Good Samaritan and MedStar Union Memorial hospitals on Wednesday.
Chambers had been president of Union Memorial and assumed the dual role when Jeffrey A. Matton left his leadership position at Good Samaritan and moved into a senior systemwide leadership position overseeing a performance initiative.
Officials said the move will help with efficiency and quality.
"In the last few years it's become increasingly clear that our best competitive advantage in the changing healthcare industry is to unify the two hospitals," Chambers said in a statement. "The hospital campuses are three miles apart. The shared geography, community access, clinical excellence, operational efficiency, population health management -- all put us in a position for better organizational readiness and a structure for the future."
The hospitals will maintain their own board of directors, medical staff and services, officials said. Good Samaritan will keep its Catholic identity.