Two of the largest for-profit hospital operators — HCA Healthcare and Tenet Healthcare — are making major investments in expansion.
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA plans to expand its 45-hospital footprint in Texas by building five more.
"Communities across Texas are undergoing a rapid increase in population, and the addition of these new hospitals will help our existing network meet the increasing need for healthcare services," HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen said in a Jan. 26 news release. "We are thrilled to expand our presence in Texas, and we believe it will enhance our care and better serve our patients."
HCA has invested about $6.6 billion to grow its presence in Texas over the last five years.
HCA has 47 hospitals in Florida and plans to start building three more this year. The company announced in November that it is building a 90-bed hospital in Gainesville, a 100-bed hospital in Fort Myers and a 60-bed hospital near The Villages. The three hospitals will be part of HCA Florida Healthcare.
The company has also significantly expanded its reach as an urgent care provider in Florida. The company finalized its purchase of MD Now Urgent Care, a network of 59 urgent care centers in Florida, in January.
HCA has invested $3 billion in expanding its footprint in Florida over the last three years.
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and its subsidiary United Surgical Partners International completed their acquisition of Towson, Md.-based SurgCenter Development in December. Tenet paid $1.1 billion to acquire SurgCenter Development's ownership interests in 86 ambulatory surgery centers and related services.
The deal positions USPI for growth by giving the company the option to partner with SurgCenter to develop at least 50 centers over a five-year period.
Tenet CEO Saum Sutaria, MD, called the deal "transformative" when it was announced in November. The transaction builds upon SurgCenter's record of developing high-quality centers and USPI's position as a growth partner, Dr. Sutaria said.