Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems has offloaded 10 hospitals in 2026 through nine sales and one lease transfer as the for-profit system continues to reshape its portfolio, reduce debt and strengthen its financial performance.
Most recently, Memphis, Tenn.-based Baptist Memorial Health Care assumed operations of Merit Health Rankin, a 134-bed hospital in Brandon, Miss., effective Oct. 1. Brandon HMA, a CHS subsidiary that held the hospital’s lease, opted not to renew it, a CHS spokesperson told Becker’s.
On June 1, CHS sold four Arkansas hospitals to Joplin, Mo.-based Freeman Health System for $110 million, exiting the Arkansas market.
The hospitals, previously part of Springdale, Ark.-based Northwest Health, included Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville (128 beds), Northwest Medical Center-Springdale (222 beds), Willow Creek Women’s Hospital in Johnson (64 beds) and Siloam Springs Regional Hospital (73 beds).
On April 1, CHS sold Crestwood Medical Center, a 180-bed hospital in Huntsville, Ala., to Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital Health System for $459 million.
CHS also completed two transactions involving four hospitals in February.
On Feb. 2, CHS completed the $623 million sale of its 80% ownership interest in Tennova Healthcare-Clarksville (Tenn.) Hospital and the freestanding Tennova ER-Sango to Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Health. Vanderbilt had held a 20% minority stake in the hospital since 2021.
Effective Feb. 1, CHS sold its three Pennsylvania hospitals to newly formed nonprofit Tenor Health Foundation for $33 million plus a $15 million promissory note, marking its exit from the state. The sale included Regional Hospital of Scranton (186 beds) and Moses Taylor Hospital (122 beds) — both in Scranton, Pa. — and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital (369 beds).
CHS now operates 59 hospitals in 12 states, according to its website.
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