The second quarter of 2026 has included a wave of health system transactions aimed at expanding market share, scaling care delivery and strengthening financial stability.
Several deals announced in recent weeks reflect broader industry trends as hospitals pursue acquisitions, divestitures and ambulatory growth strategies to navigate financial pressure, rising costs and the shift toward outpatient care.
Here are five deals that have closed or been proposed that Becker’s has reported since April 30:
1. Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health and Pittsburgh-based UPMC said May 4 that they signed a definitive agreement to transfer ownership of Steubenville, Ohio-based Trinity Health System to UPMC. The proposed transaction would expand UPMC into the Ohio hospital market and includes Trinity West and Trinity East in Steubenville, Ohio; Trinity St. Clairsville (Ohio) Neighborhood Hospital; Trinity Twin City Medical Center in Dennison, Ohio; and associated clinics across the Ohio Valley. The deal is expected to close this fall, pending regulatory review.
2. Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed Health & Hospitals and Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health on May 1 shared plans to combine into a single system. The proposed combination would bring nonprofit WakeMed under Atrium Health, also a nonprofit and part of Charlotte-based Advocate Health, and includes a $2 billion investment from Atrium in Wake County, N.C., to expand facilities, grow the workforce and broaden care access statewide. The Wake County Board of Commissioners has delayed a vote on the proposed transaction.
3. Irving, Texas-based Christus Health on May 1 took over operations at Mount Pleasant, Texas-based Titus Regional Medical Center, which was renamed Christus Health-Mount Pleasant Hospital. The transaction follows Titus Regional’s decision in February to select Christus as its strategic partner. Christus also opened the Christus Health Mount Pleasant Emergency Care Center on Feb. 9 — a $33 million, 36,000-square-foot facility that includes a multispecialty clinic that opened April 13 and offers cardiology, gastroenterology, primary care, pulmonology, urology and other services.
4. Rapid City (S.D.) Medical Center joined Rapid City-based Monument Health, a five-hospital system. Beginning May 4, the hospital’s services were offered at Mt. Rushmore Road Clinic, South Clinic, West River ENT and Infusion Services-Monument Health, all in Rapid City.
5. Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare said it deployed $125 million in the first quarter of 2026 to acquire seven ASCs, representing half of the company’s $250 million annual mergers and acquisitions target for United Surgical Partners International, Tenet’s ASC subsidiary. The acquisitions are part of Tenet’s broader strategy to expand its ASC footprint, following continued investment in ASC mergers and acquisitions in 2025.
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