Community Health Systems’ acquisitions expand footprints in Fla., Pa.

Community Health Systems, a publicly traded Franklin, Tenn.-based hospital company, this week completed its acquisition of Sharon (Pa.) Regional Health System. CHS also signed a 40year lease of Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Fla.

The Sharon Regional acquisition includes its 218-bed medical center, outpatient centers and affiliated physician practices that serve northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania. Community Health Systems has its secondlargest state presence in Pennsylvania.

The long-term prepaid lease of 420bed Munroe Regional also includes the medical center’s clinical affiliation with UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla. That lease makes Florida Community Health Systems’ largest market with 26 affiliated hospital. The lease is the culmination of negotiations that began between Munroe Regional and Health Management Associates, which Community Health Systems acquired in January.

“The acquisition of Sharon Regional and the lease of Munroe Regional are important, strategic affiliations for our company as we work to develop networks in key states,” Wayne Smith, chairman and CEO of Community Health Systems, said in a release. “Both hospitals have served their respective communities with quality care for many years, and we appreciate the opportunity to work with the medical staffs and employees in their commitment to providing quality health services.”

Community Health Systems is one of the largest for-profit hospital chains

in the U.S. in terms of revenue. It comes in just behind HCA and not-forprofit Ascension Health in Modern Healthcare’s published ranking of hospital systems last June, which used 2012-reported net patient revenue. Community Health Systems reported revenue of $13.029 billion for 2012 and revenue of $12.997 billion for 2013.