Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health has entered into an agreement to sell three hospitals and a freestanding emergency room in South Carolina to Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health.
Under the agreement, Prisma Health-Midlands would acquire KershawHealth, a single-hospital system based in Camden, S.C., and Providence Health, a two-hospital system based in Columbia, S.C., from LifePoint.
"Ensuring that we maintain access to healthcare in South Carolina's rural communities has been a priority of my administration, but we've always known that the private sector would be our most important partners in reaching that goal," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a release. "This proposed acquisition would provide new opportunities to enhance clinical quality and improve access to affordable care for patients in the Midlands and beyond, but it also shows that Prisma Health is committed to the communities it serves, and for that, we should all be grateful."
Prisma Health currently comprises 18 hospitals and more than 300 physician practice sites. It was formed in 2019 through the merger of Greenville (S.C.) Health System and Columbia, S.C.-based Palmetto Health.