AMARILLO, TEXAS -- A joint venture has been formed between Baptist Community Services of Amarillo and Ardent Health Care Services of Nashville, Tenn., at Amarillo's BSA Hospital. The venture includes $50 million in projects.
The new ownership was announced Monday morning to a crowd full of hospital employees.
The deal includes the 445 bed hospital, the Don & Sybil Harrington Cancer Center, several clinics, an urgent care clinic and a preferred provider network, officials said.
"We chose Ardent because of its proven track record in the industry and its commitment to growth and to improving clinical quality and patience experience," Steve Dalrymple, President and CEO of Baptist Community Services. "In addition, they are strategically located in markets adjacent to Amarillo, and we some nice synergies for all these markets to work well together."
Arden owns and operates 11 hospitals, a health plan, two multi-specialty physician groups and 11 retail pharmacies, officials said. It has healthcare operations in Tulsa, Okla., and surrounding communities and Albuquerque and Roswell, N.M.
Baptist Community Services and CHRISTUS Health have operated and owned the healthcare system since 1996. In December of 2011, CHRISTUS announced its intentions to sell.
Included in the new joint venture are $50 million in projects, including a new expanded emergency room. It will be large enough to more than handle current and future emergency volumes, hospital officials said.
The other project is to build a new, state-of-the art cancer clinical facility that will house the patient care services of the Harrington Cancer Center, officials said.
Additionally, Ardent said $75 million will be invested at BSA over the next five years for additional services, new equipment and technology to improve the health system.
"We are honored to serve Amarillo and welcome the BSA Health System into the Ardent family of hospitals and healthcare companies," said David T. Vandewater, President and CEO of Ardent Health Services. "We recognize the exceptional physicians, nurses and staff who provide high quality care and service at BSA, and we are proud to invest in them, into these BSA facilities and into Amarillo and the communities of the Texas Panhandle."
Ardent will own 80 percent of the joint venture. Baptist Community Services will own 20 percent. Each will appoint half of the joint venture governing board.
CHRISTUS said it is saddened to leave the Amarillo community but it feels the BSA ministry is in good hands. It will now work to focus its efforts on its other communities.
Details forthcoming.
