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Planned Parenthood organizations in Tucson and Phoenix — already the largest providers of reproductive health care services in the state — will merge in October with the goal of serving more women statewide.

The boards of directors of Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona and Planned Parenthood of Central and Northern Arizona agreed to the merger last Saturday, officials said Friday.

"The best part about this merger is it will create the opportunity for the organization as a whole to serve more clients," said Megan Davis, chairwoman of the Southern Arizona board.

"It's not about one organization saving the other," said Davis, president of Davis Consulting Group, a Tucson firm specializing in strategic planning, acquisitions and mergers.

"This is a happy organization of two healthy organizations who are better together than they are separately."

Bryan Howard, CEO of the Planned Parenthood of Central and Northern Arizona, will head the merged group, which will be based in Phoenix.

Patti Caldwell, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona, will become one of five vice presidents of the larger organization. Her role will be to oversee human resources, staff training, quality improvement and other matters of "organizational effectiveness," she said.

Like Davis and Howard, Caldwell said a key reason for the merger is to condense operations and increase fundraising to expand Planned Parenthood services in Southern Arizona and across the state.

"We are not looking at cutting back any services or programs anywhere in the state," said Caldwell, who oversees three Planned Parenthood clinics in Tucson. The local clinics expect to provide reproductive health care to about 12,000 women from Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise counties this year, Caldwell said.

Education and outreach programs will reach another 15,000 women in Southern Arizona this year, she said.

The Phoenix office of Planned Parenthood oversees 17 clinics in six counties, and will serve about 60,000 clients this year, Howard said.

Planned Parenthood's goal is to increase the number of clinics statewide from 20 to 24 or 28, Howard said.

Davis said she has no concern about Planned Parenthood's Tucson operations losing their voice in Phoenix.

"We have gone through one of the most thorough and thoughtful merger processes I have ever witnessed," she said.