LifePoint Health Chairman and CEO Bill Carpenter plans to step down after nearly 13 years at the helm of the hospital operator, which is preparing to join forces with Brentwood neighbor RCCH HealthCare Partners.

Before year’s end, Carpenter will hand the reins to David Dill, who has been LifePoint president and COO since 2011. Dill will be the first CEO of the combined $8 billion LifePoint-RCCH, which will own 85 non-urban hospitals and associated service providers in 30 states and be majority-owned by Apollo Global Management. Carpenter will become a member of the merged organization’s board.