There were several hospital mergers, acquisitions and partnerships that, at some point in their lifetime, were called off in the past year.
Below are eight hospital deals called off since December 2020, beginning with the most recent.
1. Tower Health calls off deal to sell 2 hospitals
West Reading, Pa.-based Tower Health called off a deal in December to sell two hospitals to Canyon Atlantic Partners, a hospital management firm based in Austin, Texas. Tower plans to close both hospitals by the end of January. The closures will result in the loss of more than 800 jobs.
2. Ascension, AdventHealth to unwind partnership
Ascension and AdventHealth announced in October that they are unwinding their Amita Health partnership after working together for nearly seven years. Amita Health, a joint venture providing healthcare services to the greater Chicago area, comprises 15 acute care hospitals, four specialty hospitals and immediate and outpatient care centers. After St. Louis-based Ascension and Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth unwind their partnership, each organization will operate their hospitals and care sites in the Chicago area.
3. SSM Health, Quorum end hospital sale talks
St. Louis-based SSM Health and Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health backed out of a potential deal in October for Quorum to acquire one of SSM Health's hospitals and its associated medical group. The organizations ended talks nearly a year after entering into a letter of intent to explore the sale.
4. Sentara, Cone Health end merger talks
Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare and Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Health abandoned plans in June to merge. The health systems ended talks about 10 months after announcing plans to combine into a 17-hospital system.
5. CommonSpirit's plan to sell 14 hospitals to Essentia abandoned
Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health and Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health abandoned a deal in May that would have added 14 hospitals and three clinics to Essentia's network. The health systems signed a letter of intent in January to explore the sale. In financial documents released in November, CommonSpirit said it is in discussions to negotiate an affiliation agreement to transfer ownership of the 14 hospitals.
6. LifePoint, Prisma call off 3-hospital deal
Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health and Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health terminated an agreement in April for Prisma to acquire three hospitals and a freestanding emergency room from LifePoint. The hospitals were later acquired by The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
7. Sanford no longer pursuing Intermountain merger
Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review in March that it ended merger discussions with Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare. Sanford and Intermountain announced in October 2020 they had signed a letter of intent to merge, with completion of the deal expected in 2021. The deal was officially canceled after Sanford indefinitely suspended merger discussions because of the abrupt exit of its longtime president and CEO, Kelby Krabbenhoft. The combined system would have operated 70 hospitals and employed more than 89,000 people.
8. Georgia health systems drop plan to combine
Macon, Ga.-based Atrium Health Navicent and Warner Robins, Ga.-based Houston Healthcare abandoned their proposed merger in February. The Federal Trade Commission announced March 3 that commission staff recommended challenging the transaction after determining it would eliminate competition and raise healthcare costs in central Georgia. The commission voted 4-0 to disclose the investigation and close it after the deal was called off.