The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes signed a letter of intent to transfer sponsorship of Agnesian HealthCare, a three-hospital system in Fond du Lac, Wis., and Monroe (Wis.) Clinic to St. Louis-based SSM Health.
Officials said CSA initiated and will guide the sponsorship transfer as the institutions engage in the due diligence process during the next several months.
Changes in the Wisconsin payer and provider markets, as well as the changing demographic of the congregation, led CSA to pursue the transfer, officials said.
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"CSA's healthcare ministries, Agnesian HealthCare and Monroe Clinic, are pillars of strength in the community and have a bright and vibrant future," said Laura Kaiser, president and CEO of SSM Health. "We are honored that CSA has chosen us to preserve and advance their ministries … Bringing our organizations together would enable us to further expand access to affordable high-quality care in communities throughout Wisconsin, ensuring patients get the care they need, when and where they need it most."