Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare entered into an asset purchase agreement on Oct. 3 to purchase Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare's Lehigh Acres, Fla.-based Lehigh Regional Medical Center.
Lehigh Regional Medical Center was acquired by Prime in 2016 and is a 53-bed acute-care facility that comprises emergency services, cardiology, gastroenterology, critical care, general surgery, orthopedics, pathology and nephrology, according to its website.
Under the transaction, which is expected to close Jan. 18, all 294 Prime employees at the hospital will be laid off, however, HCA has committed to retaining employees at the hospital, according to a Nov. 19 WARN notice. The notice was required for the hospital transaction to transition employees from one employer to another.
"This partnership will benefit new and existing patients, as Lehigh Regional becomes part of the organization’s statewide HCA Florida Healthcare network to serve more patients and expand access to care while preserving and building on Lehigh’s legacy of quality, compassionate care," a spokesperson for Prime said in a Nov. 21 statement shared with Becker's.
None of the hospital employees are represented by a union, and the employees were made aware of the ownership change on Nov. 19, the notice said.
"We believe the addition of the hospital to our existing network of care will enhance our ability to serve communities throughout Lee County (Fla.)," a spokesperson for HCA said in a Nov. 21 statement shared with Becker's. "We plan to offer substantially all current employees in good standing the opportunity to stay with the hospital."