Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital and Kindred Behavioral Health, part of Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health, have formed a joint venture partnership to construct and operate Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital.

Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health and Englewood (N.J.) Health have dropped their merger plans, a spokesperson for Hackensack Meridian told Becker's.

Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry continued to see fewer mergers and acquisitions in the first quarter of 2022, with only 12 transactions recorded, according to an April 7 Kaufman Hall report.

Eight deals involving health systems and hospitals have been announced, finalized or blocked since March 16. 

Recently formed healthcare group Pajaro Valley Health Care District needs to gather at least $20 million by July to purchase the bankrupt Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital, Santa Cruz Sentinel reported April 4.

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare and Broomfield, Colo.-based SCL Health have finalized a merger put in motion in December. With the deal completed, April 5 marked the first official workday under the combined organization. Marc Harrison, MD, president and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, discussed what excites him most about the merger, the challenges ahead in terms of integration and the reasoning behind the deal.

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare and Broomfield, Colo.-based SCL Health have completed their merger after the Colorado attorney general's office signed off on the deal March 31. 

Highlands Hospital in Connellsville, Pa., officially joined DuBois, Pa.-based Penn Highlands Healthcare April 1 after receiving regulatory approvals, becoming the system's eighth hospital.

Jennings (La.) American Legion Hospital joined New Orleans-based Ochsner Health on April 1. The hospital was renamed Ochsner American Legion Hospital. 

Morgantown, W.Va.-based Mon Health System and Chaleston, W.Va.-based CAMC Health System have signed a letter of intent to create a single new system named Vandalia Health, the organizations announced March 31. 

North Ottawa Community Health System, a single-hospital network in Grand Haven, Mich., is exploring a deal to join Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, according to MiBiz. 

UnitedHealth Group's Optum unit has bought Refresh Mental Health from a private equity firm, Axios reported March 24 citing sources. 

Eight hospital and health system deals have been called off since October, whether it was the cancellation of a merger or acquisition or the unwinding of a partnership.

Robbinsdale, Minn.-based North Memorial Health will take full ownership of Maple Grove (Minn.) Hospital by purchasing the final 25 percent stake from Minneapolis, Minn.-based Fairview Health Services.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit affirmed the order of the District Court to block  Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health's proposed merger with Englewood (N.J.) Health, according to court documents obtained by Becker's. 

Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical System announced March 21 that it has expanded its partnership with Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente.

Illinois residents said they are hopeful about Pipeline Health's proposed sale of two Chicago area hospitals but have concerns based on Pipeline's history, the Chicago Tribune reported March 17.

Medical Properties Trust has sold a 50 percent stake in eight Massachusetts hospitals to Macquarie Infrastructure Partners. 

Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health is selling 15 acres of the shuttered DePaul Medical Center's property in Norfolk, Va., The Virginian Pilot reported March 16.

Several mergers and acquisitions have taken place by U.S. health systems in the last few months. Below is a breakdown of seven deals since Feb. 3, by the numbers, as reported on by Becker's.