The University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System Authority has agreed to buy Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System in central Alabama for $450 million.
Under the agreement, UAB Health System Authority will assume ownership of all Ascension St. Vincent’s sites of care, including the hospitals at Birmingham, Blount, Chilton, East and St. Clair, as well as the One Nineteen Campus; the Trussville Freestanding Emergency Department; and imaging centers and other clinics that are part of Ascension Medical Group.
Ascension has 140 hospitals with sites of care in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
The transaction will include current Ascension St. Vincent’s services, facilities, caregivers and associates, including a network of providers serving the region.
“Patients will continue to have access to the healthcare services and providers they’ve come to trust, and ultimately gain access to a larger care network,” said UAB Health System CEO Dawn Bulgarella, in a statement. “UAB and St. Vincent’s exist to improve lives, and that purpose will drive our actions in the coming months and beyond.”
Bulgarella also serves as CEO of the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance, which was formed in 2020.
Ascension St. Vincent’s CEO and Ascension Senior Vice President Jason Alexander said UAB Health System – with a statewide network of 17 hospitals, both owned and affiliated, and with its integrated care delivery system and proven record of promoting patient-centric, sustainable care across Birmingham and Alabama – is best positioned to extend opportunities for patients to access a larger care network into the future.
“As part of our shared commitment to our patients, caregivers, associates and community, we have continued to discuss options to better deliver on our missions in an increasingly complex environment,” Alexander said, in a statement. “It became clear that adding Ascension St. Vincent’s to UAB Health System’s network of owned hospitals – and combining and optimizing our collective strengths – is the solution to ensure that our community retains access to sustainable, high-quality healthcare. Among other benefits, patients will gain access to a larger network of local services through UAB.”
Alexander added that the Ascension Foundation for Health Equity will continue its presence in the market and expand grant-making beyond the transition period.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024, subject to standard regulatory approvals and pending satisfaction of closing conditions and approval by the Catholic Church.
Until that time, UAB Health System and Ascension St. Vincent’s will continue normal operations while their teams collaborate to plan the transition.
