SSM Health to acquire Wisconsin hospitals from the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes

SSM Health will acquire two Wisconsin-based systems from the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, the Catholic-sponsored providers announced Wednesday.

The systems are Agnesian HealthCare and Monroe Clinic. St. Louis-based SSM Health owns St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, Dean Clinic and hospitals in Baraboo and Janesville. The facilities will likely carry the SSM Health brand.

Shifts in the Wisconsin payer and provider markets combined with the changing demographics of the Congregation of Sisters led to the move, executives said. Terms of the deal, which is expected to take several months to review and is subject to customary approvals, were not disclosed.

"Bringing our organizations together would enable us to further expand access to affordable high-quality care in communities throughout Wisconsin, ensuring patients get the care they need, when and where they need it most," Laura Kaiser, president and CEO of SSM Health, said in a statement.

The deal signals the continued consolidation of the healthcare industry as providers prepare for payment reform and look to scale up to spur operational efficiencies.

Fond du Lac, Wis.-based Agnesian includes the 175-bed St. Agnes Hospital, Waupun Memorial Hosptial and Ripon Medical Center. The 58-bed Monroe Clinic in Monroe also has 12 clinic locations, retail and urgent care clinics, and a home care and hospice agency.

SSM Health, which includes an integrated network of 20 hospitals, has been steadily expanding its Midwest footprint over the past several years.