Two powerhouse medical centers have decided to team up to become one of the largest health care systems in Texas.

Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System and Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health's board members signed a letter of intent to merge and create a combined system, according to an October 1 press release. A definitive agreement is expected to be complete in 2019.

"Together, we believe we will be able to accelerate our commitments to make care more consumer centric; grow our capabilities to manage the health of populations; and bend the unsustainable healthcare cost curve in the state," says Chuck Stokes, president and CEO of Memorial Hermann, in the release. "Through this combined system, we have a unique opportunity to reinvent healthcare and make a profound difference in the lives of millions of Texans."

The two systems together have over 68 hospital campuses, 1,100 care delivery sites, almost 14,000 physicians, and serve almost 10 million patients each year, according to the release.

The combined organization will operate under a unified board, led by Ross McKnight, the current chair of the Baylor Scott & White Holdings Board of Trustees. A vice chair will be selected by Memorial Hermann and will serve as the chair after McKnight's two-year term.

Jim Hinton, current CEO of Baylor Scott & White, will be the CEO. Stokes will serve in the proposed office of the CEO, along with current Baylor Scott & White president, Pete McCanna.

"Baylor Scott & White was founded as a Christian ministry more than 100 years ago; ever since, it has advanced health and driven change in North and Central Texas," McKnight says in the release. "This proposed combination starts the next chapter in the legacies of service and innovation for both systems. It will not only make a positive difference in the lives of millions here, it will become a national model."

Both organizations will maintain their brands and names locally. Executive and support staff will be based in the cities where the two entities currently have operations: Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Temple.

"This is about two mission-driven organizations — both committed to making safe, high-quality healthcare more convenient and affordable — building something transformative together," Hinton says in the release. "We must lead the change in our industry, while insisting we continue to fulfill our unwavering commitments to meeting the needs of all Texans."