Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/144475
Sign up for the COMPLIMENTARY Becker's Hospital Review CEO Report & CFO Report E-Weeklies at www.BeckersHospitalReview.com or call (800) 417-2035 45 Hospital & Health System Transactions St. Louis-based Ascension Health, the largest Catholic health system in the United States, completed its acquisition of Marian Health System, a Tulsa, Okla.-based provider with three regional health systems. Phoenix-based Banner Health added Arizona Regional Medical Center in Apache Junction, Ariz., to its network, pending approval. Discussions regarding the acquisition of Bert Fish Medical Center in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., advanced with two proposed Florida buyers: Daytona Beach-based Halifax Health and Naples-based Health Management Associates. Massachusetts hospitals Beth Israel Deaconess, based in Boston, and Lahey Health, based in Burlington, entered affiliation talks. Asheville, N.C.-based health system CarePartners Health Services entered into a nonbinding memorandum of understanding to become an affiliated member of Mission Health, also based in Asheville. Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives and Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth agreed to suspend their discussions after signing a nonbinding agreement with intent to affiliate in August 2012. Naperville, Ill.-based Edward Hospital & Health Services and Elmhurst (Ill.) Memorial Healthcare signed a definitive merger agreement. Emanuel Medical Center, a 72-bed hospital based in Swainsboro, Ga., signed a joint management and lease agreement with ER Hospitals, a hospital management group based in Salt Lake City. Tacoma, Wash.-based Franciscan Health System finalized its acquisition of Burien, Wash.based Highline Medical Center, which operates a 154-bed acute-care hospital, a specialty center and more than 20 clinics. Greater Hazleton (Pa.) Health Alliance and Lehigh Valley Health Network based in Allentown, Pa., signed a merger agreement, pending regulatory approval. Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center and North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y., approached Long Island College Hospital, part of State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, with competing bids to acquire it. Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates officially launched its joint venture partnership with Bayfront Health System in St. Petersburg, Fla., in which the for-profit hospital chain acquired an 80 percent ownership in the 480-bed Bayfront, with the remaining 20 percent stake owned by the Bayfront HERO foundation, a non-profit subsidiary of Health Management co-governed with Bayfront representatives. Shands Healthcare, part of Gainesville, Fla.based UF&Shands, is a clinical partner in the new hospital arrangement. Hot Spring County Medical Center in Malvern, Ark., chose to enter into an operating sublease agreement with Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock (Ark.), pending local court approval, over competing offers from Arkansas Heart Hospital and St. Vincent Health System, both based in Little Rock but owned by out-of-state entities. The Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors approved plans to lease Interim LSU Public Hospital, better known as University Hospital, in New Orleans and University Medical Center in Lafayette, La., to private operators. Louisiana Children's Medical Center will pay for the lease to run the New Orleans hospital for two years until a new $1.1 billion medical center is constructed, which LCMC would then lease for 40 years. University Medical Center would be leased to Lafayette (La.) General Health System in a similar agreement. Officials set a goal to sell Iron County Hospital in Pilot Knob, Mo., by June 30, the end of the hospital's fiscal year. Potential buyers and financial details were not disclosed. Jamestown (N.D.) Regional Medical Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital, began to pursue a clinical and technology-based affiliation with Fargo, N.D.-based Sanford Health. Johnston Health, a public health system based in Smithfield, N.C., and Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health Care entered exclusive negotiations for a strategic partnership. Passing one of its final bureaucratic hurdles in a year-and-a-half pursuit, the deal for New London, Conn.-based Lawrence + Memorial Hospital to acquire The Westerly (R.I.) Hospital earned the Rhode Island attorney general's approval. whether a certificate of need would be issued to merge after Cooley Dickinson's former partnership with the Dartmouth-Hitchcock-Alliance dissolved. Mecosta County Medical Center in Big Rapids, Mich., will officially become part of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spectrum Health after both systems' boards and the Mecosta County board of commissioners signed off on the deal. Georgia health systems Memorial Health in Savannah and Evans Memorial Hospital in Claxton formed a clinical affiliation, under which Evans Memorial will remain locally owned and operated. After several weeks of negotiations, the board of trustees for Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Fla., chose Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates over Brentwood, Tenn.-based Duke LifePoint Healthcare to lease and operate the publically owned, 421-bed hospital. City officials of North Kansas City, Mo., hired three additional lobbyists to fight the passage of legislation that would end the city's ownership of North Kansas City Hospital and make the institution independent, effectively blocking some city officials' hopes of selling the hospital to a for-profit buyer. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health added University Health Care System in Augusta, Ga., to its shared services division. Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare affiliated with the Mayo Clinic Care Network in a nonownership relationship. Ontario, Calif.-based hospital chain Prime Healthcare Services completed its purchase of two Kansas hospitals from Denver-based Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System. The for-profit chain acquired 400-bed Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., and 80-bed Saint John Hospital in Leavenworth, Kan. Ontario, Calif.-based hospital chain Prime Healthcare Services offered to invest nearly $44 million into upgrades of St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic, N.J., pending regulatory approval. Portland, Maine-based MaineHealth approved an agreement to add Memorial Hospital, based in North Conway, N.H., to its network after a year and a half of discussions. Rush Oak Park (Ill.) Hospital shed its status as a Catholic hospital as Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center completed its 15year deal to acquire it. Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital's plan to acquire Northampton, Mass.based Cooley Dickinson Hospital met with broad support from employees and community members at a public hearing meant to determine Denville, N.J.-based Saint Clare's Health System and its Englewood, Colo.-based, non-profit parent Catholic Health Initiatives signed an asset purchase agreement with Ontario, Calif.based, for-profit Prime Healthcare Services.