The last week in healthcare has been busy with big transactions, and one deal possibly stymied by the Federal Trade Commission.
There have also been hospital closures in recent months and Amazon's One Medical is forging new partnerships with some of the largest health systems in the nation. Here are five top stories around healthcare:
1. Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare plans to sell three South Carolina-basd hospitals to Novant Health, which is based in Winston-Salem, N.C. The definitive agreement, unveiled Nov. 17, states Novant will buy the hospitals for around $2.4 billion in cash.
2. Walnut Creek, Calif.-based John Muir Health's proposed $142.5 million deal to purchase San Ramon (Calif.) Regional Medical Center from Tenet is in jeopardy after the FTC sued to block acquisition Nov. 17. John Muir's existing hospitals compete with San Roman Regional, which the FTC considers the low-priced option within the market.
3. Amazon's One Medical, which has a virtual and in-person primary care network, has signed a deal with two large health systems to become the specialty referral partner of One Medical's primary care physicians. One Medical partnered with Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health and Hackensack Meridian Health in Edison, N.J.
4. Around 450 endoscopy patients at Salem (Mass.) Hospital are taking precautions after being notified that they may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Staff exposed patients by incorrectly administering IVs. No patients had reported infections as of Nov. 16.
5. Hospitals in Kansas and Texas closed in October. The 25-bed Herington (Kan.) Hospital leadership told staff on Oct. 9 the facility would close and services would end that day due to low patient volumes and "lengthy financial struggles." La Grange, Texas-based St. Mark's Medical Center closed a few days later on Oct. 12 because it couldn't sustain its $13 million mortgage debt.