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Discontent among Mass General Brigham doctors had been at a slow burn for years. But when an unexpected announcement from the chief executive titled “A message about our future” popped into inboxes one morning last month, that frustration seemed to fully ignite.

Mass General Brigham, a dominant force in Boston medicine, was launching the latest and perhaps most contentious step in its ongoing effort to merge its two flagship Harvard-affiliated medical centers: combine all departments and divisions at both hospitals in a move that executives argued would improve patient care and access.

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But after years of feeling shut out of decisions amid grinding work schedules, many doctors worried the changes would lead to layoffs, demotions, and an even greater loss of autonomy. During an online ‘‘town hall’’ on April 4, they inundated leaders with skeptical questions. One physician asked how executives planned to build trust with faculty when so many felt “unheard, devalued, disempowered, and unseen.”

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