National Nurses United is urging the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Justice Department to strengthen regulations and anticompetitive guidelines to healthcare mergers and acquisitions because of their effect on patients, nurses, other healthcare workers and communities.

CMS on April 20 released public data on mergers, acquisitions, consolidations and ownership changes of hospitals and nursing homes enrolled in Medicare, the first time this data has been reported.

Topeka, Kan.-based Stormont Vail Health may partner with the financially struggling Geary Community Hospital after the system's letter of intent was accepted by the hospital and Geary County Commission, WIBW reported April 19.

Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health and Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health have signed an agreement for Trinity to acquire all MercyOne Health System assets and facilities.

Dallas-based Steward Health Care acquired its fifth facility in Arizona, the physician-led healthcare network said April 19. 

Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare completed its purchase of the real estate, medical equipment and other assets of the closed Galesburg (Ill.) Cottage Hospital for $4 million, according to the Galesburg Register-Mail.

SUNY Upstate Medical University plans to acquire Crouse Health in a move that would shake up the hospital market in Syracuse, N.Y.

The price of merger and acquisition insurance, which inflated amid a busy deal-making season last year, is starting to drop, The Wall Street Journal reported April 13.  

Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital and Kindred Behavioral Health, part of Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health, have formed a joint venture partnership to construct and operate Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital.

Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health and Englewood (N.J.) Health have dropped their merger plans, a spokesperson for Hackensack Meridian told Becker's.

Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry continued to see fewer mergers and acquisitions in the first quarter of 2022, with only 12 transactions recorded, according to an April 7 Kaufman Hall report.

Eight deals involving health systems and hospitals have been announced, finalized or blocked since March 16. 

Recently formed healthcare group Pajaro Valley Health Care District needs to gather at least $20 million by July to purchase the bankrupt Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital, Santa Cruz Sentinel reported April 4.

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare and Broomfield, Colo.-based SCL Health have finalized a merger put in motion in December. With the deal completed, April 5 marked the first official workday under the combined organization. Marc Harrison, MD, president and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, discussed what excites him most about the merger, the challenges ahead in terms of integration and the reasoning behind the deal.

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare and Broomfield, Colo.-based SCL Health have completed their merger after the Colorado attorney general's office signed off on the deal March 31. 

Highlands Hospital in Connellsville, Pa., officially joined DuBois, Pa.-based Penn Highlands Healthcare April 1 after receiving regulatory approvals, becoming the system's eighth hospital.

Jennings (La.) American Legion Hospital joined New Orleans-based Ochsner Health on April 1. The hospital was renamed Ochsner American Legion Hospital. 

Morgantown, W.Va.-based Mon Health System and Chaleston, W.Va.-based CAMC Health System have signed a letter of intent to create a single new system named Vandalia Health, the organizations announced March 31. 

North Ottawa Community Health System, a single-hospital network in Grand Haven, Mich., is exploring a deal to join Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, according to MiBiz. 

UnitedHealth Group's Optum unit has bought Refresh Mental Health from a private equity firm, Axios reported March 24 citing sources.