GRAND BLANC TWP, MI - Henry Ford Health and Ascension Michigan have officially merged, establishing a unified organization that now includes more hospitals and health care facilities in metro Detroit and Genesee County.

The newly combined organization, led by Henry Ford Health CEO and headquartered in Detroit, officially launched Tuesday. It will employ roughly 50,000.

Ascension’s seven hospitals in Southeast Michigan, and its Genesys hospital in Flint, will be renamed as they are now under the banner of Henry Ford Health. The eight hospitals began operating as HFH hospitals Tuesday as part of Ascension’s offloading of assets across the state into a new joint venture operated by HFH.

President and CEO Robert Riney said the system is looking to advance its care capabilities following a joint venture with Ascension Michigan.

Henry Ford Health became Metro Detroit's largest health care provider under the joint venture, an analyst said, in the area's latest hospital merger.

In a dramatic expansion, Detroit-based Henry Ford Health adds eight Ascension hospital properties to its network to become a $12 billion health-care giant in an increasingly consolidated landscape. The venture includes all of Ascension's southeast Michigan and Genesys health-care facilities.