Transactions & Valuation Issues

Vanguard Health Systems and Detroit Medical Center have signed a final agreement for Vanguard's purchase of the eight-hospital health system, according to a report by the Detroit Free Press.

Community Hospital of Long Beach (Calif.) will explore a merger with Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, according to a report by the Gazettes Town-News.

Mission Health System in Asheville, N.C., and Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard, N.C., have approved a memorandum of understanding, putting them one step closer to finalizing the terms of an affiliation agreement, according to a report in The Asheville Citizen-Times.

Memorial Healthcare System has signed an affiliation deal with Florida International University's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and also with Florida Atlantic University, according to a Memorial Healthcare news release.

Connecticut's Office of Health Care Access has given a green light to an affiliation between Hartford Hospital and the Hospital of Central Connecticut, according to a report in the Hartford Courant.

Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare System and Rockford Health System are exploring a merger in which OSF would acquire Rockford Health, according to a report by the Rockford Register Star.

Bert Fish Medical Center, a public hospital in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., is considering a merger with private, Orlando-based Florida Hospital, according to a report by the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Merger plans for Valley Baptist Health System, based in Harlingen, Texas, and Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco, Texas, have ended, according to a report by the KGBT News.

Maine Medical Center in Portland plans to merge with Maine Cardiology Associates, based in South Portland and Cardiovascular Consultants of Maine, based in Scarborough, according to a report by the Portland Press Herald.

As capital markets begin to open up and healthcare reform starts to take shape, momentum for hospital acquisition activity is building, although the buyers and sellers may have different characteristics this time around.