From Community Health Systems’ exits from Pennsylvania and Arkansas to Prime Healthcare acquiring its 55th hospital, here are 21 hospital mergers and acquisitions completed in 2026:
1. Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network finalized an affiliation agreement July 1 to acquire Beaver, Pa.-based Heritage Valley Health System, bringing the system’s footprint to 16 hospitals. The deal brings Heritage Valley Health System’s two hospitals, 36 physician offices, seven multispecialty outpatient “neighborhood” facilities, 3,000 employees and several other services under AHN’s network.
2. Mechanicsburg, Pa.-based Select Medical was acquired June 30 for $3.9 billion by a consortium led by its co-founder and executive chairman Robert Ortenzio. With the close of the acquisition, Select Medical has become a privately held company. As of March 31, Select Medical operated 103 critical illness recovery hospitals in 28 states; 41 rehabilitation hospitals in 15 states; and 1,912 outpatient rehabilitation clinics in 37 states and Washington, D.C.
3. Little Rock, Ark.-based Baptist Health on June 14 acquired South Arkansas Regional Hospital in El Dorado, expanding its footprint to 13 hospitals. The hospital, renamed Baptist Health Medical Center-El Dorado, employs about 400 staff members and provides inpatient and outpatient services, including cardiology, orthopedics, obstetrics and emergency care.
4. Brentwood, Tenn.-based Lifepoint Health completed its acquisition of eight community hospitals from Louisville, Ky.-based ScionHealth on June 2. The hospitals span six states: Idaho, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. ScionHealth said the sale concentrates its operations on specialty hospital services, leaving a smaller community hospital presence in select markets. The company operates more than 60 long-term acute care hospitals.
5. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health completed its acquisition June 1 of Danbury, N.C.-based Community Hospital of Stokes, a 53-bed critical access hospital. The Stokes County (N.C.) Board of Commissioners selected Novant on March 23 as the hospital’s future healthcare provider. Novant Health already had an existing presence in Stokes County, including multiple primary and specialty care clinics.
6. Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems sold four Arkansas hospitals and associated outpatient centers and practices June 1 to Joplin, Mo.-based Freeman Health System for $110 million. The hospitals are part of CHS subsidiary Springdale, Ark.-based Northwest Health. The sale marks CHS’ exit from the Arkansas market.
7. Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare completed its acquisition of Franciscan Health Olympia Fields (Ill.) on May 8. Olympia Fields, a 214-bed hospital, is Prime’s ninth in Illinois and 55th overall. In March 2025, the health system acquired eight Illinois facilities from St. Louis-based Ascension. Prime said that in the first year of ownership, it invested more than $104 million in the eight hospitals to enhance clinical care and operations, modernize infrastructure and expand service lines.
8. Irving, Texas-based Christus Health took over operations May 1 at Mount Pleasant, Texas-based Titus Regional Medical Center, and renamed it Christus Health – Mount Pleasant Hospital. The acquisition of the 174-bed hospital is part of Christus Health’s broader expansion in the area. The system opened the Christus Health Mount Pleasant Emergency Care Center Feb. 9, a $33 million, 36,000-square-foot facility that also houses a multispecialty clinic, which opened April 13, and houses cardiology, gastroenterology, primary care, pulmonology, urology and more services.
9. Quorum Health sold Scenic Mountain Medical Center to San Angelo, Texas-based Shannon Health System. The deal comes after Shannon bought West Texas Medical Plaza in 2024, where Scenic Mountain Medical Group is located. The acquisition sees Shannon Health System grow to four hospitals, 25 clinic locations and more than 400 providers in West Texas.
10. CHS on April 1 sold Crestwood Medical Center — a 180-bed hospital in Huntsville, Ala. — to Huntsville Hospital Health System for $459 million. Crestwood will continue operating under its name and identity, including its colors and logo. The health system said that there are no planned changes to services or operations.
11. Shuttered Springfield (Pa.) Hospital was purchased by KQT Aikens Partners for $1 million March 11, making it the last of Upland, Pa.-based Crozer Health’s four facilities to be sold. Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings, Crozer Health’s parent company, also sold its Ridley Park, Pa.-based shuttered Taylor Hospital to KQT for $1 million in September 2025. Todd Strine, CFO and owner of KQT, said the company’s goal is to bring both Springfield and Taylor hospitals “back to life.”
12. The Centurion Foundation, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization, completed its long-awaited acquisition of Providence, R.I.-based Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital from Prospect Medical Holdings, marking the end of a multiyear process involving regulatory reviews and financial negotiations. The March 6 transaction establishes a new nonprofit system, CharterCARE Health of Rhode Island, which will oversee the hospitals and related assets. The deal was financed with $101 million in private bonds, along with an $18 million supplemental reserve fund created with support from state officials.
13. Grand Forks, N.D.-based Altru acquired CHI St. Alexius Health Devils Lake (N.D.) — a 25-bed critical access hospital — from Chicago-based CommonSpirit on March 1. The hospital is now known as Altru Hospital Devils Lake.
14. Paragould-based Arkansas Methodist Medical Center on Feb. 28 merged with Memphis, Tenn.-based Baptist Memorial Health Care, becoming Baptist’s 25th hospital and third in Arkansas. All of Arkansas Methodist’s assets — including the 191-bed hospital, 91-bed assisted living facility and eight medical clinics — transferred to Baptist following completion of the merger. Arkansas Methodist’s more than 500 employees transitioned to Baptist.
15. Farmington, Conn.-based UConn Health completed its acquisition of Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital from bankrupt Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings on March 1, establishing the UConn Health Community Network. The UConn Health Community Network is a nonprofit entity created to support and strengthen community hospitals by connecting them with patient care expertise, research, education and innovation of the state’s only public academic medical center.
16. Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare’s nonprofit public charity, Prime Healthcare Foundation, acquired Lewiston-based Central Maine Healthcare on Feb. 16. The transaction comprises Lewiston-based Central Maine Medical Center, Bridgton (Maine) Hospital, Rumford Hospital, Rumford (Maine) Community Home, Auburn, Maine-based Bolster Heights Residential Care, Lewiston-based Maine College of Health Professions, Lewiston-based CMH Cancer Care Center, and more than 40 physician practices.
17. Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems completed the sale of its 80% ownership interest in Tennova Healthcare-Clarksville Hospital and the freestanding emergency room Tennova ER-Sango operations to Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Health for $623 million. Vanderbilt has held a 20% minority stake in the hospital since 2021.
18. CHS completed the sale of its three Pennsylvania hospitals to newly formed nonprofit Tenor Health Foundation for $33 million plus a $15 million promissory note from the buyer. Under the deal, Tenor acquired Regional Hospital of Scranton (186 beds), Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton (122 beds) and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital (369 beds). With the sale, CHS exited Pennsylvania.
19. Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare completed its $86.1 million acquisition of Manchester (Conn.) Memorial Hospital from Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings Jan. 1. Under the acquisition, Hartford agreed to invest around $225.7 million over the next three years to “improve care and services across the region.”
20. Marlborough (Mass.) Hospital became a campus of UMass Memorial Medical Center Jan. 1. The 79-bed hospital was renamed UMass Memorial Medical Center–Marlborough Campus. The current teams at Marlborough Hospital will continue to provide care to patients. The hospital will also receive an expanded emergency department, a new outpatient clinic, and an advanced spectral CT scanner and enhanced cancer treatment services.
21. Rockford, Ill.-based Mercyhealth acquired Freeport, Ill.-based FHN, a 100-bed hospital with eight outpatient facilities, effective Jan. 1. Under the affiliation, FHN underwent leadership transitions, including exits by its president and CEO Mark Gridley; chief human resources director Len Carter; CFO Mike Clark; and executive vice president, chief nursing officer and COO Kathy Martinez, BSN, RN.
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