Ascension and AdventHealth have announced plans to spin off Amita Health, the joint operating company created by the religious systems in 2015 to serve the greater Chicago area.
The systems said in a statement Thursday that they made the decision jointly, saying it was “in their collective interest to respond more quickly to the changing needs and expectations of consumers in the rapidly evolving health care environment.”
The systems did not provide a timeline for the split or additional information about why they are ending the partnership. Fierce Healthcare has been contacted for further comment.
Amita Health is one of the largest systems in Illinois with 15 acute care hospitals, four specialty hospitals and numerous outpatient facilities, making it the largest system in the region.
The partners said they are working to ensure a “smooth and swift transition” that will not disrupt patient care.
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Once separated, AdventHealth and Ascension would operate their individual facilities. Presumably, that would mean AdventHealth retains Adventist Midwest Health's four hospitals and other outpatient facilities while Ascension controls Alexian Brothers Health System's five hospitals and outpatient facilities as well as Presence Health's 10 hospitals and other locations.
“Ascension and AdventHealth will begin the process of unbundling the partnership in a manner that best serves the needs of the community,” the systems said. “AdventHealth and Ascension maintain a strong relationship and are united to ensure that Chicagoans have access to the best possible health care.”
Amita Health was originally founded in 2015 as a nine-hospital system, but more than doubled in size with Ascension's acquisition and merger of Presence Health in 2018. The system provides more than $335 million in annual community benefits, according to its website.
News of the breakup runs counter to broader industry consolidation trends. In recent months in particular, systems have been targeting large, high-value mergers, albeit at the expense of a higher frequency of single-hospital deals, Kaufman Hall reports.
