The transition is expected to become official early this summer.

Hudson Headwaters is a primary care network established in the small Adirondack community of Chestertown in 1974, and it has 19 health care centers in the state. The two Adirondack Internal Medicine & Pediatrics offices would bring that number to 21.

Dr. Patricia Monroe, a pediatrician at Adirondack Internal Medicine & Pediatrics’ Saranac Lake offices, said patients should not worry about being part of a new health care network.

“It will be a seamless transition,” she said Monday, March 2. “And because Hudson Headwaters is a federally qualified health center and accepts all types of payments a person may or may not have, we’ll be able to take on more patients.”

Monroe said she is excited about the transition.

“This is really good, especially in terms of recruiting and bringing on doctors who want to work for a bigger health care network,” she said.

According to a press release from Hudson Headwaters, the merger will have minimal effects on the Adirondack Internal Medicine & Pediatrics’ offices and patients.

“Along with changes to signage and other branded materials, there may be some minor renovations as the practice locations become part of Hudson Headwaters Health Network,” Hudson Headwaters spokesperson Jane Hooper said. “During the transition, patients won’t experience any disruption in care.”

Hooper did not immediately respond to questions about whether patients will have to assist in transferring medical records and if there will be changes to the way patients pay for their visits.

In the press release, Hudson Headwaters CEO Dr. Tucker Slingerland said, “Our organizations believe that access to high-quality health care is vital to the health of our communities. This partnership will ensure that residents of both Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake will have continued support and resources to meet their healthcare needs. We look forward to welcoming the greater Tri-Lakes community into our care.”

Adirondack Internal Medicine co-founder Dr. David Johnson of Saranac Lake said the merger will be a benefit to the Tri-Lakes.

“It’s vitally important to us that patients in this area continue to have access to skilled primary care providers,” Johnson said in the press release. “Hudson Headwaters has a reputation for providing expert primary care: working with patients, providers and other health care organizations throughout the Adirondack region.”

Adirondack Internal Medicine’s Saranac Lake office is located inside the Redfield wing of Adirondack Health’s Adirondack Medical Center hospital.

In the press release, Adirondack Health CEO Sylvia Getman said, “We have always enjoyed a positive and close working relationship with our colleagues at Adirondack Internal Medicine & Pediatrics and look forward to advancing the opportunities for care coordination that Hudson Headwaters brings to the table.”

Approval is required by both the state Department of Health and the Health Resources and Services Administration before the change is finalized. Approvals are expected by early summer of 2020.

Hudson Headwaters treats more than 1,000 patients each day, according to Hooper. Its largest facilities are in Warrensburg, West Mountain and Champlain. Its smaller facilities are in Indian Lake, Bolton Landing and Schroon Lake.

Adirondack Internal Medicine & Pediatrics was founded in 1976 by Johnson and Dr. Dean Melville, and has cared for many families throughout the Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and the northern Adirondack regions for more than 40 years.

The practice is led by four physicians: Drs. Johnson, Elizabeth Buck, Monroe and Brian Guadagno, with a support staff of 17.