Stat of the Week: Hospital M&A up 40% in Q4:17

Stat of the Week: Hospital M&A up 40% in Q4:17

Hospital M&A activity accelerated in the fourth quarter of 2017. The number of hospital acquisitions rose to 21 in the fourth quarter, up 40% from the 15 publicly announced acquisitions in the third quarter of 2017. Compared with the same quarter in 2016, which posted 23 transactions, activity was down 9%. None of the transactions disclosed a purchase price in the third quarter of 2017. Four of the deals disclosed prices, for a combined total of $2.82 billion. None of the transactions in the third quarter disclosed a price, although the fourth quarter of 2016 posted a total of $2.31 billion. The largest deal in the quarter was UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) $2.8 billion acquisition... Read More »

Community Health Systems Starts Divesting Hospitals

It’s no secret that Community Health Systems (NYSE: CYH) has a $15 billion debt load, and that despite its spin-off of Quorum Health Corp. (NYSE: QHC) last April, its financial performance hasn’t improved. During the company’s third-quarter earnings call on November 1, CEO Wayne Smith said the company was in discussions to shed 17 of its 157 hospitals, as well as home health services and non-hospital real estate. The most recent deal following that call was announced on November 17. Community Health’s Spokane, Washington-based Rockwood Health System will become part of Tacoma, Washington-based MultiCare Health System, a not-for-profit system that operates five... Read More »

Community Health Sells 4 Rural Hospitals

Financially troubled Community Health Systems (NYSE: CYH) announced the sale of four rural hospitals on September 28, as it tries to pare down its $15 billion in debt. And more announcements are in the works. Curae Health, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting rural healthcare services, agreed to take on the four facilities, three of which are in Mississippi and one in Florida.  They are Merit Health Gilmore Memorial (95 beds), Merit Health Batesville (112 beds), Merit Health Northwest Mississippi (181 beds) and Highlands Regional Medical Center (126 beds). In November 2014, Curae Health emerged as the owner of three rural Alabama hospitals being sold by LifePoint... Read More »