The number of hospital merger and acquisitions remained the same — nine deals — in the second and third quarters of this year, according to a recent Irving Levin Associates report.
The stagnant hospital rate is inconsistent with the healthcare industry as a whole, which saw mergers and acquisitions increase 10 percent from 297 deals in the second quarter to 326 deals in the third quarter.
The report also found hospital merger and acquisition activity decreased by 61 percent between the third quarter of 2013 and the same time frame this year, while the healthcare industry as a whole saw an increase of 19 percent in mergers and acquisitions.