There were 20 reported mergers and acquisitions among hospitals and health systems in the fourth quarter of 2018, up for 17 deals announced in the third quarter, according to HealthCareMandA.com.
Though deal volume increased from the third quarter, it was down 20 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2017.
"The fourth quarter produced some sizable deals. Of the 15 deals targeting U.S. health systems, a total of 4,259 beds traded hands," said Lisa E. Phillips, editor of the Health Care M&A Report, which publishes the data. "On the other hand, several targets were financially struggling or emerging from bankruptcy protection. Companies such as Curae Health, Promise Healthcare and Verity Health are all seeking buyers, and that trend will continue in 2019, sadly."