Adventist Health System Set to Acquire Hospital in Ocala, Florida
18 April 2018 | Earlier today, it was announced that Adventist Health System will acquire Ocala, Florida-based Munroe Regional Medical Center. The financial terms under which AHS, the parent company of Florida Hospital, is acquiring the 421-bed hospital, have not been disclosed. However, the Orlando Sentinel mentions that Community Health System—the company which leased Munroe Regional from Marion hospital district in 2014 as part of a 40-year agreement—has been “steadily selling off hospitals and making corporate lay-offs in the past two years as part of plans to improve its bottom line.” Community Health System sold Bayfront Health Dade City to AHS last year.
The anticipated acquisition of Munroe Regional by AHS is subject to the agreement of Marion County Hospital District which owns and leases out the hospital. If the deal goes through, Munroe Regional will become part of Florida Hospital’s West Florida Division which already has 10 hospitals.
“Munroe Regional Medical Center has a long history in this community and is a valuable asset to the region. We look forward to building on that and giving patients greater access to the Florida Hospital network of care,” said president and CEO of the West Florida Division of Adventist Health System, Mike Schultz, “We are excited to bring our unique brand of whole-person, faith-based care to this community.”
The Orlando Sentinel said that the acquisition is part of a trend of mergers and acquisitions in healthcare as the industry’s emphasis turns to value-based care which is facilitated by reach and scale. Smaller hospitals are being pressured into selling or joining larger partners.
Adventist Health System is a non-profit health care organization that operates 45 hospital campuses within the Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States. Its headquarters is in Altamonte Springs, Florida. It is affiliated with the Adventist Church.