Duke Health has completed its $284 million acquisition of a North Carolina hospital from Community Health Systems.
Duke took over operations of the Mooresville, North Carolina-based Lake Norman Regional Medical Center and its related businesses from Community Health Systems on April 1. The health system has renamed the 123-bed facility as the Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital.
Related: Community Health Systems to sell hospital for $280M
Duke is extending job offers to all existing hospital employees and has assigned an interim leader as it prepares to search for a new hospital president, the system said in a news release on Tuesday.
Duke will integrate the hospital's existing electronic health records into its own system over the next several months, according to the release. The acquisition is the latest example of the Durham, North Carolina-based health system's growth strategy. In January, it said it was planning to build a new children's hospital in partnership with Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based UNC Health.
The transaction is part a $1 billion, multi-year facility divestment plan for Franklin, Tennessee-headquartered CHS as the for-profit system navigates financial difficulties.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Novant Health previously tried to purchase Lake Norman Regional along with another CHS hospital for a proposed $320 million, but the deal was called off in June due to regulatory pushback from the Federal Trade Commission. The government agency sued to block the transaction in January 2024, alleging the deal would increase costs and reduce care quality.
Duke Health did not respond to a request for comment. CHS deferred questions to Duke Health.
