Columbia, Mo.-based Boone Health and local officials signed a letter of intent Oct. 14 to develop a Medicare-certified critical access hospital in Mexico, Mo.

Quest Diagnostics, a laboratory services business, has completed its purchase of select laboratory assets from Columbus-based OhioHealth. 

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez approved the sale of Dallas-based Steward Health Care's Odessa (Texas) Regional Medical Center and Big Spring, Texas-based Scenic Mountain Medical Center to Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health during an Oct. 11 hearing. 

Columbia, Mo.-based Boone Health and local officials are expected to sign a letter of intent Oct. 14 for a new critical access hospital in Mexico, Mo.

The Federal Trade Commission voted 5-0 to finalize changes to premerger notifications under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, which requires organizations to report large transactions to the FTC and Justice Department for antitrust review.

Evansville, Ind.-based Deaconess Health System's planned acquisition of Hopkinsville, Ky.-based Jennie Stuart Health has received backlash from Save Jennie Stuart, a group urging the system's board to either slow or end the acquisition, Hoptown Chronicle reported Oct. 9.

Mechanicsburg, Pa.-based Select Medical plans to run a new Temple, Texas-based inpatient rehabilitation hospital when it opens in late first quarter of 2025.

Honolulu-based The Queen's Health Systems has acquired Ewa Beach, Hawaii-based Kahi Mohala, a behavioral health hospital, from San Francisco-based Sutter Health.

Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente and Denver-based HCA HealthOne, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, have expanded their relationship to provide additional healthcare access in central Denver.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Novant Health has completed the sale lease transaction of 20 facilities in Charlotte, Wilmington, N.C., and Winston-Salem, N.C., to Remedy Medical Properties and Kayne Anderson Real Estate. 

Four of the largest for-profit health systems in the country have entered into multiple transactions this year as part of strategic plans to strengthen their hospital portfolios, offload certain facilities or explore ways to expand their reach.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez approved Scottsdale-based HonorHealth's purchase of three Dallas-based Steward Health Care Arizona hospitals during an Oct. 3 hearing. 

PeaceHealth has signed a definitive agreement to acquire four clinics in Vancouver, Wash., from Providence. 

St. Cloud, Minn.-based CentraCare has shared plans to purchase CentraCare-Monticello (Minn.) Hospital from the Monticello Hospital District Board for $2 million.

Six Steward hospitals in Massachusetts were among 16 hospitals that came under new ownership on Oct. 1: 

San Antonio-based Methodist Healthcare has acquired San Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital from NewEra IRF Holdings, an integrated commercial real estate development and capital investment company.

Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Health has acquired Milford (Mass.) Regional Medical Center and the Milford Regional Physician Group as part of a new corporate affiliation.

Bellevue, Wash.-based Overlake Medical Center & Clinics has officially joined Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have given the state's attorney general the authority to review and veto private equity healthcare deals deemed bad for patients and consumers, NPR affiliate KQED reported Sept. 30. 

Detroit-based Henry Ford Health and Ascension Michigan have officially launched their joint venture to improve healthcare access, experience and outcomes.