Prisma Health to acquire KershawHealth and Providence Health

South Carolina health system signs agreement to purchase facilities from LifePoint Health; enhances focus on ensuring high-quality, accessible healthcare and improving the health and well-being of communities.

Greenville, S.C. and Brentwood, Tenn. (March 5, 2020)—Prisma Health and LifePoint Health® today announced that they have signed an agreement for Prisma Health–Midlands to acquire KershawHealth in Camden, South Carolina, and Providence Health in Columbia, South Carolina. The addition of KershawHealth and Providence will provide Prisma Health–Midlands new opportunities to advance the delivery of accessible high-quality care in communities across the regions it serves.

“We are delighted at the prospect of welcoming the Providence and KershawHealth teams to the Prisma Health family,” said Mark O’Halla, President and Chief Executive Officer of Prisma Health.

“Providence and KershawHealth are known to share our commitment to improving patient experiences, clinical quality and access to care. We look forward to continuing our mutual goal of enhancing the health of our communities.”

Prisma Health is serving more than 1.2 million unique patients across the Midlands and the Upstate each year. This acquisition would add three hospitals to Prisma Health–Midlands: Providence Health and Providence Health Northeast, KershawHealth, and a freestanding emergency room in Fairfield County.

Under the terms of its asset purchase agreement with LifePoint, the facilities will be integrated into Prisma Health–Midlands, creating the foundation of a delivery system that could transform healthcare for the Midlands and all of South Carolina. Examples would include expanding centers of excellence in clinical areas such as cardiovascular, women’s health, orthopedics and pediatrics that neither organization could do alone.

Prisma Health–Midlands operates under the Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA) issued by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) in 1997. On February 28, 2020, DHEC updated the COPA Agreement Conditions to address the addition of the Providence Health and KershawHealth assets.

“Ensuring that we maintain access to healthcare in South Carolina’s rural communities has been a priority of my administration, but we’ve always known that the private sector would be our most important partners in reaching that goal,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. “This proposed acquisition would provide new opportunities to enhance clinical quality and improve access to affordable care for patients in the Midlands and beyond, but it also shows that Prisma Health is committed to the communities it serves, and for that, we should all be grateful.”

“Joining Prisma Health offers exciting opportunities for everyone at KershawHealth and Providence as well as the communities we serve,” said Terry Gunn, FACHE, Market Chief Executive Officer for KershawHealth and Providence Health. “Being part of a regional system allows us to offer our patients access to a wider array of services and explore new ways to improve the health and well-being of people of all ages.”

KershawHealth was founded in 1913 as Camden Hospital and joined LifePoint in 2018. Over the last century, it has evolved into a comprehensive health system with locations in Camden, Elgin, Lugoff and Kershaw. These include the Medical Center at Camden, Outpatient Center and Urgent Care at Elgin, West Wateree Medical Complex, Sleep Diagnostics Center, and Physical Therapy at Kershaw.

Founded in 1938, Providence Health, which LifePoint has owned since 2016, serves Columbia and surrounding communities through two full-service hospitals, one freestanding emergency room and a network of physician practices, sleep centers, cardiac rehab facilities, and outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy locations across the region.

“We are proud of all we have accomplished together with the KershawHealth and Providence teams, and the decision to transition ownership of these hospitals was a difficult one,” said Jamie Carter, Eastern Division President, LifePoint Health. “However, there is tremendous value in regional collaboration, and we believe that by joining Prisma Health, KershawHealth and Providence will have unique opportunities to positively impact the lives of even more people than they do today.”

“We are excited about the opportunity to advance our efforts to create a better state of health for South Carolina with the addition of the KershawHealth and Providence Health hospitals, clinics, physicians, nurses and other team members,” said O’Halla. “We look forward to building on our longstanding relationships in Richland County, and starting new and positive ones with the citizens of Kershaw and Fairfield counties.”

The completion of the acquisition is pending the fulfillment of customary legal and regulatory requirements.

About Prisma Health
Prisma Health is a not-for-profit health company and South Carolina’s largest private employer. With nearly 30,000 team members, 18 hospitals, 2,984 beds, and more than 300 physician practice sites, Prisma Health serves more than 1.2 million unique patients annually. Its goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. The organization was formed in late 2017 when Greenville Health System and Palmetto Health came together, officially becoming Prisma Health in January 2019. For more information, visit PrismaHealth.org.

About LifePoint Health®
LifePoint Health is a leading healthcare company dedicated to Making Communities Healthier®. Through its subsidiaries, it provides quality inpatient, outpatient and post-acute services close to home. LifePoint owns and operates community hospitals, regional health systems, physician practices, outpatient centers and post-acute facilities across the country. It is the sole community healthcare provider in the majority of the non-urban communities it serves. More information about the company can be found at LifePointHealth.net.

About KershawHealth
Founded in 1913 as Camden Hospital, KershawHealth is a full-service healthcare system proudly serving its community members in Kershaw County and the surrounding areas. A part of LifePoint Health, KershawHealth consist of facilities in Camden, Elgin, Lugoff and Kershaw, including a 119-bed Medical Center and a 20-bed Geriatric Psychiatric Unit in Camden, Outpatient Center and Urgent Care in Elgin, Sleep Diagnostics Center, and Physical Therapy ready to care for you. KershawHealth employs more than 700 dedicated staff. For more information, visit KershawHealth.org.

About Providence Health
Founded in 1938 by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, Providence Health is a full-service healthcare system serving the Midlands of South Carolina. A part of LifePoint Health, Providence consists of two hospitals, a freestanding Emergency Room in Fairfield County and multiple physician practices, rehabilitation centers, sleep centers, imaging and diagnostics labs, and other services. Providence Health’s downtown Columbia hospital specializes in high acuity care, while its Northeast Columbia campus recently transitioned from a specialty facility to a full-service community hospital. Providence employs more than 1,600 dedicated staff. For more information, visit YourProvidenceHealth.com.