Nacogdoches (Texas) County Hospital District is eyeing a new lease agreement with Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare that would merge Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital with Nacogdoches Medical Center, ABC affiliate KTRE reported Feb. 19.
Under the proposed deal, the two hospitals would operate under unified management.
Consolidating the hospitals would help the district sustain care for the community’s underserved population while benefiting from the resources and support of a larger health system, David Schaefer, vice president of the hospital district’s board, told the media outlet.
Nacogdoches Memorial was previously leased to Lion Star, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2023, according to The Daily Sentinel. Mr. Schaefer said the bankruptcy influenced the board’s approach to the new lease.
“We learned a lot about what a lease that is good for the community and good for the hospital district would look like,” he told KTRE. “We’re going into this with a lot more open eyes.”
The board is set to meet Feb. 27 to vote on the proposed deal, according to the report. If approved, the merger could be finalized in the third or fourth quarter. Becker’s reached out to Tenet and Nacogdoches County Hospital District and will update this story as more information becomes available.
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