When the two CEOs sat down in early March with Becker's to discuss the merits of the proposed $11 billion merger between Presbyterian Healthcare Services and UnityPoint Health, there was a lot of positivity in the air.

Bankrupt Mercy Iowa City hospital said it has reached an impasse to resolve a disagreement with the successful bidder for the 234-bed facility.

Liberty (Mo.) Hospital's board on Oct. 19 voted to pursue a partnership with the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City.

Salem (Ore.) Health has acquired Hope Orthopedics, a Salem-based group, effective Sept 29, and hired most of its physicians and employees, according to the Salem Reporter. 

Two faith-based health systems, Memphis, Tenn.-based Baptist Memorial Health Care and Meridian, Miss.-based Anderson Regional Health System, plan to merge into a 24-hospital system in January.

Henry Ford Health and Ascension Michigan are entering a joint venture, in which Henry Ford would essentially fold Ascension's sites of care in the southeastern region of the state under its brand.

Talks between state officials and Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health over its proposed purchase of three Connecticut hospitals have broken down as the sides failed to agree on whether to keep such discussions confidential, according to an Oct. 17 CT Mirror report.

Three for-profit health systems entered into several transactions this year as part of strategic plans to strengthen their hospital portfolios, offload certain facilities or explore ways to expand their reach.

Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health is seeking $80 million from the state to help with its plan to buy three Connecticut hospitals, according to an Oct. 17 Hartford Courant report.

The University of Iowa Health system made a final bid of $28 million in its ultimately unsuccessful attempt at buying bankrupt Mercy Iowa City hospital, according to an Oct. 16 report in The Gazette.

Pueblo, Colo.-based Parkview Health System has until Jan. 24 to come to a merger agreement with Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth before any such deal could fall apart, according to an Oct. 16 filing.

Duluth, Minn.-based St. Luke's and Wausau, Wis.-based Aspirus Health have signed a definitive agreement to form a 19-hospital system with more than 130 outpatient locations and 14,000 employees.

Christus Health has bought the 50% of Santa Fe, N.M.-based St. Vincent Regional Medical Center it didn't already own.

More than one-third of hospital and health system transactions announced in the third quarter involved an entity that cited financial distress as a driving factor, according to a Kaufman Hall M&A report published Oct. 12.

Private equity (PE) investment in healthcare is soaring, as investors have raised large amounts of capital and see attractive opportunities in the industry — especially health services.

Morgantown, W.Va.-based Monongalia Health System is one step closer to completely absorbing Davis Health System after the two parties signed a definitive agreement to merge Oct. 11 following regulatory and other approvals.

Little Rock, Ark.-based Baptist Health has reached a definitive agreement to add Monticello, Ark.-based Drew Memorial Health System to its enterprise. 

El Segundo, Calif.-based Pipeline Health is now a four-hospital system — all of which are in the Los Angeles area —- after it completed the sale of White Rock Medical Center in Dallas to Heights Healthcare of Texas.

Albuquerque, N.M.-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services and West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health have called off a planned $11 billion merger, the two systems said Oct. 11.

Bondholder Preston Hollow Community Capital has outbid the University of Iowa for Mercy Iowa City hospital in a surprise turn of events, according to an Oct. 10 The Gazette report.