The U.S. Justice Department has reached a settlement to resolve an antitrust lawsuit challenging Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger's partial acquisition of a 132-bed hospital in Lewisburg, Pa.

Ten transactions involving hospitals and health systems have been announced, finalized or advanced in the last three weeks:

Industry trends increasingly point toward hospital and health system merger and acquisition activity making a robust comeback in 2021 and beyond, prompting healthcare executives to proactively consider the lab's role in consolidations. 

West Reading, Pa.-based Tower Health is looking for a partner to buy the entire system, which comprises six hospitals, according to the Reading Eagle.

UnitedHealth subsidiary Optum signed a definitive agreement to acquire Atrius Health, a 715-physician group based in Newton, Mass., according to The Boston Globe. 

Quincy, Ill.-based Blessing Health System acquired Keokuk (Iowa) Area Hospital from West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health on March 1. 

Wauwatosa, Wis.-based Froedtert Health acquired a majority stake in Manitowoc, Wis.-based Holy Family Memorial March 1. 

The Federal Trade Commission is no longer challenging the merger between Jefferson Health and Einstein Healthcare Network, clearing the way for the two Philadelphia-based health systems to combine. 

Macon, Ga.-based Atrium Health Navicent and Warner Robins, Ga.-based Houston Healthcare have abandoned a plan to combine, according to a joint statement obtained by Becker's Hospital Review Feb. 25. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare will pay $400 million to acquire 80 percent of Brookdale Senior Living's hospice, home health and outpatient therapy division. 

There were 199 mergers and acquisitions in the revenue cycle management and health IT  markets in 2020, according to a new report from an independent investment bank and strategy consultant Greenberg Advisors. 

Machias, Maine-based Down East Community Hospital plans to acquire Calais (Maine) Regional Hospital, the only other hospital in Maine's Washington County, out of bankruptcy, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Two Providence, R.I.-based systems — Lifespan and Care New England Health System — have inked a definitive agreement to merge into a single organization and create an integrated academic health system in partnership with Brown University.

After filing a lawsuit in May to end its affiliation with Renton, Wash.-based Providence, Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., is alleging it is now the target of retaliation, according to the Los Angeles Times.  

Millersburg, Ohio-based Pomerene Hospital entered a management agreement with Aultman Health Foundation, a Canton, Ohio-based organization that runs hospitals and an insurance company, according to a Feb. 17 news release.

Charlottesville, Va.-based UVA Health signed a letter of intent to acquire full ownership of Novant Health UVA Health System, a three-hospital system based in Northern Virginia.

Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Health System has finalized an agreement to acquire Fayette County Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Washington Court House, Ohio. 

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. 

Hospitals and health systems have announced or completed at least 19 merger, acquisition and partnership deals since Jan. 1. 

New Brunswick, N.J.-based Rutgers University and West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health have inked a clinical agreement.