Healthcare mergers and acquisitions are in no short supply as providers, health tech companies, payers and other industry players look to expand their businesses and gain a competitive edge. Here’s a roundup of new deals that were revealed, closed, rumored or called off during the month of September.
Providers
HealthPartners and Essentia Health announced plans to combine, setting the stage for an integrated 22-hospital system spanning multiple Midwest states. The organizations have an affiliation agreement approved by their respective boards and are anticipating a Jan. 1, 2027, effective date for the deal, pending regulatory review and approvals.
Atrium Health’s planned acquisition of WakeMed Health notched a key 5-2 approval vote from the Wake County Board of Commissioners. To secure the go-ahead, the parties adjusted their terms to include a new $150 million investment paid by Atrium to the county, specifications that the prior $2 billion commitment would come squarely from Atrium’s wallet and a price cap for at least five years.
Ascension moved a step closer to its planned acquisition of Tennessee’s Williamson Health following a county board vote to move forward with the deal. The pair have a non-binding letter of intent that outlines a $700 million upfront payment and another $250 million of committed capital over 10 years.
Intermountain Health closed its nearly $800 million deal to acquire interests in two Idaho hospitals—88-bed Idaho Falls Community Hospital and 38-bed Mountain View Hospital—their affiliated clinics from Surgery Partners, plus a $413 million side deal with Medical Properties Trust for the hospitals’ real estate.
Sanford Health closed its acquisition of North Memorial Health on Sept. 1, shortly after securing approval from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office in return for a 10-year oversight agreement. The acquisition of North Memorial’s two hospitals expands Sanford Health's footprint to 22 hospitals.
CommonSpirit Health and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center confirmed in late September that the transfer of the four-hospital Trinity Health System to the latter would become official with the new month. The deal is a geographic expansion for UPMC, which to date has limited its acute footprint to Pennsylvania. Documents filed with Ohio's attorney general's office show a purchase price of $120 million.
Adena Health acquired the 222-bed Fairfield Medical Center in Ohio. Financial terms were not disclosed, though the deal was touted as an antitrust enforcement victory by federal regulators whose intervention sidelined a prior proposed deal with the larger OhioHealth.
HCA Healthcare wrapped up its acquisition of The College of Health Care Professions, an in-person and online educator. Financial terms for the school, which prepares more than 8,000 students per year for non-physician healthcare roles, have not yet been disclosed.
UConn Health delayed its planned acquisition of Bristol Hospital and Day Kimball Hospital in order to take additional time for due diligence ahead of its filing of a certificate of need application with the Connecticut Department of Health.
Salem Health wrapped its $61 million affiliation of the 40-bed Santiam Hospitals & Clinics. The deal had been streamlined through regulatory approvals via an emergency exemption to preserve care delivery.
The University of Kansas Health System will take full ownership of St. Francis Campus and its affiliated care sites from Ardent Health, which for nearly 10 years had co-owned and managed operations at the hospital under a joint venture. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year.
Maimonides Health’s bid to join NYC Health + Hospitals picked up unanimous approval from the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council, though more hurdles still stand in the way of deal completion.
Prisma Health announced an agreement to acquire 36 South Carolina urgent care locations from Novant Health, including about 500 workers. The deal is expected to close on Nov. 1. Terms were not disclosed.
Parkview Health signed an agreement to absorb Witham Health Services, a 60-bed nonprofit hospital and clinics.
Wellstar Health System plans to the add 96-bed Stephens County Hospital as its 14th hospital. The deal is expected to close “toward the end of 2026” pending approvals.
Freeman Health System and Kansas Renewal Institute have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to discuss a handover of 10-bed Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, which it opened just last year.
Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said they have reached agreements on the long-term framework for an integrated academic health system, FSU Health. The arrangement keeps the healthcare provider in charge of day-to-day operations at its hospitals and other clinical sites.
Fitzgibbon Memorial Hospital is under the ownership and management of American Medical Administrators, following a roughly month-long delay regarding a legal dispute over the acquisition of the bankrupt hospital that has now been resolved.
HCA Healthcare sold Dominion Hospital, a freestanding behavioral health hospital in Virginia, to Hill Valley Healthcare for $25 million.
Insight Health Systems is nearing a takeover of two shuttered Illinois hospitals, Weiss Memorial Hospital, closed last year, and West Suburban Medical Center, closed in June.
Penn Medicine, Independence Blue Cross and Regent Surgical launched a new joint company they said will open at least 18 ambulatory surgery centers across the greater Philadelphia region.
Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group, sold its interest in some Florida WellMed clinics to private equity firm TPG.
Payer
Cambia Health Solutions and Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield’s planned affiliation secured approval from regulators at the Arkansas Insurance Department, setting the stage for an Oct. 1 close. The Blues Plans’ integration will see Arkansas Blue Cross maintain its local identity, and combining will allow the Natural State plan to tap into Cambia's "robust technology infrastructure," the companies said.
Aetna is purchasing Mercy Care, a managed care plan in Arizona, from its joint owners Ascension and CommonSpirit, according to financial filings from the health systems. The deals are subject to approvals, with CommonSpirit writing that it is expected to close during the current fiscal year ended June 30.
Tech
Sword Health, a virtual physical therapy platform, publicly confirmed previously reported information that it plans to acquire digital mental health company Headspace in the fourth quarter of this year. Terms of the deal were not shared, though prior reporting outlined an all-cash deal between $200 million and $300 million.
Grindr, the dating app for gay male relationships, announced a deal to acquire virtual PrEP and HIV prevention care provider Freddie and its parent company PurposeMed for $250 million in cash and stock, with an additional $70 million in cash consideration. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter and is framed as an early step for Grindr to build out a health platform.
Waystar, a healthcare payment software company, is exploring strategic alternatives, including a potential sale that could take it private, according to a Reuters report citing insiders speaking on the condition of anonymity. The sources said that plans could still change and that a sale may not materialize.
Kyndryl, an enterprise technology services company, wrapped its purchase of hospital and health system IT services provider Healthcare IT Leaders. The deal is valued at up to $350 million when including a contingent performance-based earnout. It does not affect Kyndryl’s fiscal year 2027 outlook, with the firm noting that Healthcare IT Leaders’ 12-month revenue was about 1% of Kyndryl’s total.
DexCare, a patient navigation company, acquired Mila Health, the maker of AI agents for patient scheduling and coordination. Financial terms for the deal, which is the second acquisition by the Providence spinout, were not disclosed
H1 has acquired Defacto Health, a healthcare data company focused on provider network intelligence, in a move to expand its offerings for health plans and strengthen its healthcare data assets. The transaction was a mix of cash and stock, with no financial details provided.
MRO, a clinical data management platform, acquired Vyne Medical for an undisclosed sum. The latter company provides data intake and document processing tools to more than 800 hospitals, bringing the combined organization’s footprint to 2,500 hospitals and 35,000 clinic clients.
Cureety, a precision oncology care company, acquired AI-oncology organization Reimagine Care. Financial terms were not disclosed. The combined entity now supports more than 250 cancer centers—covering more than 100,000 patients—across five countries.
Venture Medical, which specializes in wound care solutions, acquired wound care EHR and operating system maker Medipyxis for an undisclosed sum.
LeanTaaS, a healthcare software vendor, acquired care transition company Aidin. Terms were not disclosed.
Hello Patient, which sells patient communication software, acquired outpatient provider workflow automation company Converse Health. The deal adds four capabilities to Hello Patient’s repertoire: referral and fax intake, chart-driven follow-up, authorization paperwork, and records and registration. Terms were not disclosed.
Vitality, a behavioral health technology company that works with payers, acquired digital health vendor Icario for an undisclosed sum. The deal extends Vitality’s member and customer reach.
Sustainable Medical Billing acquired the revenue cycle management, credentialing and virtual front desk businesses of Provana.