ALBANY - Giving a nod to President Obama's call to overhaul the health care system, St. Peter's Health Care Services, Northeast Health and Seton Health announced Wednesday they're affiliating.

The move has the potential to reshape our health care landscape.

"We can't keep doing things the same old way and expect a different outcome," said Northeast Health President and CEO Dr. James Reed.

That's why, with some 12,000 employees and 125 facilities between them, the three local health care organizations entered into a memorandum of understanding with the goal of affiliating.

Talks began 18 months ago between St. Peter's and Northeast. Seton joined Tuesday night.

If it works they say there'll be improved cost control, health care quality and access to care.

"This affiliation supports the goal of the recent state Berger Commission by giving the organizations the ability to better adapt health care services to meet community need," St. Peter's Health Care President and CEO Steven Boyle said.

This is not a merger. The hospitals will maintain their identities, but a new board will be formed governing all three.

Over the next 12 months they'll review administrative issues and iron out the cultural differences between the organizations.

Part of the challenge in marrying two Catholic organizations, St. Peter's and Seton, with a secular one is what happens to women's reproductive services - specifically abortions. The answer, says the triumvirate, is to set up a women's health program at Samaritan Hospital, with its own board of directors and its own license to provide all those services except abortions.

Forty-one abortions were performed at Samaritan last year. The folks involved figure between private doctors and Planned Parenthood women will still be served.

The other big issue is staff. No job cuts are planned, but there are talks about combining services and focusing certain treatments at one site, rather than all three.

"It's a daunting task to bring all of the parties together, but we're all up to it," said Gino Pazzaglini, Seton Health president and CEO.

It's expected to take a year for the affiliation to be completed.

Albany Medical Center CEO Jim Barba says the plan it's very aspriational. He's known about the plans for some time and says it doesn't affect Albany Med as their missions are very different. Albany Med is a teaching hospital and the others are community hospitals.