Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health is in talks to buy Ardent Health Services, a 30-hospital network based in Nashville, Tenn., according to The Wall Street Journal.
The deal would create an entity worth $10 billion, including debt. It would value Ardent Health at more than $2 billion, according to people familiar with the talks that spoke to the Journal.
LifePoint, which is owned by private equity firm Apollo Global Management, would purchase Ardent Health from Equity Group Investments, which became the owner of Ardent in 2015.
Ardent Health operates acute care hospitals and clinics in growing urban and suburban areas in six states. LifePoint operates more than 80 hospitals in mainly rural communities.
If the deal is reached, it would be a move by LifePoint to diversify into larger hospitals and clinics in densely populated areas, according to the report.
The people familiar with the potential deal said the companies have been in on-and-off talks and may not reach an agreement.
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