Impact of Georgia Hospital Merger May Take a Year to Determine. (Originated from The Macon Telegraph, Ga.)

Oct. 6--It may be as long as a year before HCA Coliseum Hospital workers and customers notice much effect of the proposed merger between Hospital Corporation of America and Columbia Healthcare Corp.

The deal would create the world's largest hospital chain, to be called Columbia/HCA Healthcare, and is expected to eventually trim the total number of hospitals in the country.

For the near future, though, about the only change people in Macon can anticipate is new signs once the deal is closed, said Michael Boggs, Coliseum's chief administrator.

"It's business as usual as far as we're concerned, Boggs said. If regulators approve the merger, the combined company …