2016 Top Stories: Penn State Health Pinnacle merger; Lancaster immigration suit

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, December 29, 2016:

The proposed merger between two of the region’s largest healthcare providers could have had a significant impact on Central Pennsylvania.  We’ll never know because the partnership between Penn State Health and Pinnacle Health was eventually rejected in 2016.

The deal had been approved by a lower federal court but in a rare move, the Federal Trade Commission and Pennsylvania Attorney General appealed.

Penn State Health and Pinnacle said the move was needed to handle new patients and claimed it would be more efficient.  The FTC said the merger would allow the combined hospitals to dominate the marketplace and could lead to higher prices.

WITF’s Transforming Health reporter Ben Allen joined us on Smart Talk.

Also, six refugee students in the city of Lancaster School District who were placed in an alternative school sued saying their Constitutional rights were being violated.   A court agreed but the district is appealing.

Finally, West York residents demanded the borough’s mayor resign after he posted racist images on social media but they found removing elected local officials isn’t easy in Pennsylvania.

Keystone Crossroads reporter Emily Previti appeared on Smart Talk to discuss both stories.