Transactions & Valuation Issues

St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam, N.Y., and Amsterdam Memorial Hospital have merged, according to a report by the Times Union.

A subsidiary of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems acquired the remainder of the shares of Affinity Medical Center in Massillon, Ohio, according to a report in the Nashville Business Journal.

An article in the Baltimore Sun says that more Maryland hospitals are considering mergers in the face of hard economic times and healthcare reform.

Health Net of California has agreed to create a $1.95 million fund to repay hospitals for costs associated with patients whose coverage was dropped after receiving medical care, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News.

Southern Ocean County Health System, based in Manahawkin, N.J., and Meridian Health, based in Neptune City, N.J., have agreed to merge, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.

Kettering (Ohio) Health Network has acquired a 50 percent stake in the Medical Center at Elizabeth Place, a physician-owned hospital in Dayton, Ohio, according to a report in the Dayton Daily News.

Here are statistics on the number of announced hospital mergers and acquisitions (deals) from 1998-2007, according to an American Hospital Association and Avalere analysis of data from The Health Care Acquisition Report by Irving Levin Associates.

Houston-based St. Luke's Episcopal Health System terminated its lease with developer Medistar Corp., ending its agreement to build a physician joint-ventured hospital in Webster, Texas, according to a report in The Galveston County Daily News.  

Willamette Falls Hospital in Oregon City, Ore., has agreed to merge with Providence Health and Services, a not-for-profit health system with 26 hospitals throughout Alaska, Washington, Montana, Oregon and California, according to a report by the Oregon City News.

Chesterfield, Mo.-based Sisters of Mercy Health and Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives announced that the two health systems have signed a letter of intent to explore purchasing St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., according to report from the Springfield…