INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — One of Indiana's major health care providers has announced plans to merge two downtown Indianapolis hospitals.

The Indianapolis Business Journal and The Indianapolis Star report that Indiana University Health plans to merge the services of University Hospital and Methodist Hospital in one building.

It isn't clear whether one of the existing hospitals will move its operations into the other or a new building will be constructed.

An IU Health representative says a committee of hospital officials and physicians hopes to make that decision by this fall.

University Hospital is on the downtown campus of Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis. If a new hospital is built, officials say it also would be downtown.

IU Health operates 18 hospitals and employs 29,000 people statewide.