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SALT LAKE CITY — Colorado-based Centura Health announced an agreement to acquire Steward Health Care's Utah locations, including five hospitals and about 35 medical clinics.
Centura said its joint operating sponsor, CommonSpirit Health, is acquiring the sites but Centura Health will manage the assets, according to a press release.
The Steward Health Care-owned hospitals in Utah include Davis Hospital and Medical Center in Layton, Jordan Valley Medical Center in West Jordan, Jordan Valley Medical Center-West Valley Campus, Mountain Point Medical Center in Lehi and Salt Lake Regional Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
"We are excited to welcome the physicians and associates of these essential hospitals, clinics and outpatient ventures to our connected ecosystem of 21,000 incredible people," said Peter D. Banko, president and CEO at Centura Health.
The announcement comes over a year after HCA Healthcare, known in Utah as MountainStar Healthcare, announced it would be acquiring these same hospitals.
The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against that merger, arguing that two of Utah's top four health care systems — MountainStar and Steward — help keep costs down by competing with each other. The FTC and health companies agreed to dismiss the lawsuit less than a month later, on June 22.
Brittany Glas, spokeswoman with MountainStar Healthcare, said Thursday that the company decided to end acquisition negotiations in June, after it could not get clearance from the FTC. She said MountainStar is still growing its network. In December, MountainStar announced it is adding more facilities throughout Utah and upgrading its current facilities.
"We have had a long track record of providing access to high-quality patient care in Utah over the past three decades. We remain deeply committed to meeting the growing demand for health care services in one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, as well as raising the level of care in the communities we serve," Glas said.
Steward Health Care is based in Dallas and operates hospitals in multiple states around the country. Centura said Steward has invested to create facilities that are "exceptional performers" for Utahns.
"We are very proud of the work we've accomplished in Utah over the past five years to nurture and grow these community hospitals. We could not have accomplished that without our local team members' focus on putting patients at the center of everything we do," Dr. Ralph de la Torre, CEO at Steward, said in the release.
He said the transition is "bittersweet" but will allow the company to reinvest and maximize Steward's impact in other locations.
The transaction between Centura and Steward is expected to be finalized sometime this year.
Centura Health's president said the company looks forward to supporting over 3,000 caregivers and helping to continue a legacy of care in Utah.
Christian-based Centura was founded in 1882, and has 20 hospitals and 260 clinics. CommonSpirit Health consists of 2,000 health care facilities in 22 states, and is a Catholic church-owned health care system.
"We're excited to extend our healing mission into Utah and bring our approach to whole-person care and clinical excellence to a new region," said Marvin O'Quinn, CommonSpirit president and chief operating officer.
