Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System and Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health Services closed on their joint acquisition of St. Francis Health, a 378-bed hospital in Topeka, Kan., Nov. 1.
KU Health and Ardent formed a joint venture to purchase the hospital, which will be rebranded The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus, and its 15 associated clinics, which will be renamed The University of Kansas Physicians Topeka.
Ardent and KU Health previously agreed to invest $50 million in the health system. Ardent will manage daily operations at the health system, while KU Health will provide clinical and financial resources.
The hospital and its associated clinics will continue to be run by local management. However, both KU Health and Ardent will share governance on the joint venture board of directors and establish a separate local board of trustees to oversee the hospital and clinics.