A joint venture between the Duke University Health System and a Tennessee hospital chain has bought nine heart labs across North Carolina from Charlotte-based MedCath.

It's the second deal for DLP Healthcare since the joint venture announced in February an agreement to run Maria Parham Medical Center in Henderson, a 102-bed hospital about 45 miles north of Raleigh.

DLP is a partnership between the Duke health system and LifePoint Hospitals, a publicly traded company based in Brentwood, Tenn., that operates 52 hospitals in 17 states.

Duke and LifePoint are seeking other deals with community hospitals and other providers. Other health systems, including the UNC Health Care System, also are looking to expand as federal health reform and other factors drive consolidation in the medical industry.