TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Beginning on Saturday, St. Peter’s Health Partners will consolidate services at Samaritan and St. Mary’s hospitals.

The two campuses will be acting as one hospital.

This Saturday, St. Peter’s Health Partners will complete the merger of Samaritan and St. Mary’s

Samaritan will become the sole provider of inpatient care in Troy, while St. Mary’s will offer advanced outpatient services.

“We’re really rebuilding health care in Troy,” CEO of Samaritan and St. Mary’s Hospitals Norman Dascher said.

The transition is ahead of schedule and construction is in full swing at Samaritan’s state of the art patient pavilion, where a new ER is under way.

Dascher says the consolidation has helped reduce readmissions and treat 6,000 patients on an outpatient basis.

“Those patients traditionally would have come to the emergency room if they didn’t feel well. Those patients are now being managed as outpatients and we are proactively contacting those patients,” Dascher said.

Outpatient centers typically do not have emergency rooms but tells NEWS10 ABC there are no plans to shut down the ER here at St. Mary’s.

“St Mary’s may continue to be an emergency room because we’re seeing a trend where there are more and more free-standing emergency rooms. So, St. Mary’s may be a free-standing emergency room or it may evolve into an emergency care center.”

Some outpatient services will still be available at Samaritan Hospital including radiology and lab work. St. Mary’s will also continue their inpatient service of chemical dependency rehabilitation.

More information about the consolidation.