Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health called off its plan to buy two Community Health Systems hospitals after a lengthy battle with the Federal Trade Commission, but the 19-hospital system is growing rapidly in North Carolina and South Carolina and showing no signs of slowing down.
Five things to know:
1. Novant Health scrapped its planned $320 million acquisition of two North Carolina hospitals from Franklin, Tenn.-based CHS after an appellate court on June 18 granted the FTC an emergency injunction blocking the deal.
"With the FTC's continued roadblocks we do not see a way to finalize this transaction," Novant said in a statement shared with Becker's. "The communities served by these facilities deserve better than the fate they've been dealt by the FTC so we will look for other ways to support patients and clinicians in these communities."
2. However, Novant is pursuing various other growth opportunities, including the planned acquisition of a 200-provider urgent care group from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina. The system entered into a definitive agreement with Columbia-based BCBS of South Carolina July 19 to buy UCI Medical Affiliates, which has 75 locations and employs 1,100 healthcare professionals. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter, pending regulatory approvals and closing conditions.
3. In February, Novant acquired three hospitals from Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare for $2.4 billion. They include:
- Mount Pleasant, S.C.-based East Cooper Medical Center
- Hilton Head (S.C.) Hospital
- Coastal Carolina Hospital
4. Novant also launched a hospital-at-home program in its coastal North Carolina region. The program, which treats patients with chronic disease flare-ups or other "lower-risk conditions" or who are recovering from surgery, went live at Novant's New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C.
"We've received very positive feedback from our initial patients, who have expressed gratitude for being able to be in their own beds and enjoy home-cooked meals," Christy Spivey, BSN, RN, senior director of hospital-based medicine for Novant Health's coastal region, said in a statement. "We know from our peers across the country that these programs demonstrate strong healthcare outcomes and significantly enhance the patient experience."
5. Novant has appointed several executive leaders this year amid its regional expansion, including Alice Pope, who began as CFO May 13. Sanjeev Sah was also appointed chief information security officer, Kim Henderson was selected as chief administrative officer, John Gizdic was named COO, and Onyeka Nchege was promoted to executive vice president and chief digital and information officer.