The landscape of American healthcare is constantly changing, shaped by mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships among the nation’s health systems. As these systems continue to expand their footprints and absorb hospitals, physician groups, and other facilities, they are creating increasingly complex networks of ownership and affiliation and reshaping market competition.
For organizations trying to understand these shifts, maintaining a clear view of ownership structures and affiliations in this landscape can be difficult. Accurate, up-to-date healthcare data can help organizations track these relationships and make more informed decisions as the market continues to evolve.
How many healthcare mergers and acquisitions occurred in 2026?
In 2026 so far, Definitive Healthcare tracked more than 80 articles on mergers and acquisitions, reflecting the strategic realignment and consolidation within the healthcare sector.
Collectively, the top 10 health systems currently manage more than 1,190 hospitals, or 14.6% of all hospitals managed by health systems. The top health systems also manage more than 177,000 hospital beds, or 16.4% of all health system beds, and account for about one in six discharges. Below are the top 10 health systems ranked by number of staffed beds.
Top 10 health systems by number of staffed hospital beds
Rank | Health system name | State | # of staffed beds | # of discharges | # of hospitals |
1 | HCA Healthcare | TN | 41,567 | 2,140,989 | 224 |
2 | Department of Veterans Affairs | DC | 25,260 | N/A | 164 |
3 | Universal Health Services | PA | 22,382 | 747,121 | 187 |
4 | CommonSpirit Health | IL | 19,015 | 880,858 | 156 |
5 | Kaiser Permanente | CA | 13,157 | 602,607 | 66 |
6 | Advocate Health | NC | 12,163 | 557,955 | 71 |
7 | Ascension Health | MO | 11,654 | 485,444 | 95 |
8 | Tenet Healthcare | TX | 11,533 | 462,648 | 82 |
9 | Trinity Health | MI | 10,786 | 517,896 | 88 |
10 | Providence of St. Joseph Health | WA | 10,415 | 461,353 | 58 |
Fig. 1 - Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product, according to the most recent 12-month interval tracked in our database. Data is sourced from the most recent Medicare Cost Report release. Accessed July 2026.
What were the biggest healthcare mergers and acquisitions in 2026?
Health systems may opt to merge for various strategic, financial, and operational reasons. Notable health system mergers and merger announcements this year include the following:
- Ascension Health completed its nearly $4 billion acquisition of ambulatory surgery center (ASC) management leader AmSurg, expanding its ASC footprint nationwide.
- Sutter Health and Allina Health are joining forces, creating a combined nonprofit organization spanning CA, MN, and WI, valued at $26 billion.
- Lifepoint Health completed its acquisition of eight acute care hospitals from ScionHealth, expanding its services across TX, TN, WV, MS, and more.
- Universal Health Services entered into an agreement to acquire leading virtual behavioral healthcare company Talkspace.
- CommonSpirit Health has signed an agreement to transfer ownership of Trinity Health System, including several of its hospitals and associated clinics, to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).
Beyond hospitals, health systems are also snapping up ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), urgent care clinics, and other sites of care as more care continues to shift from inpatient to outpatient settings. Below, we highlight the top 10 health systems by number of affiliations.
Top health systems by number of affiliations
Fig 2. Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product. Accessed July 2026.
HCA has the most hospitals in the U.S., with 240 hospitals. It also has the largest number of physician groups, imaging centers, and urgent care clinics. HCA has a total of 1,594 facilities across its network.
Meanwhile, CommonSpirit Health leads the way with the total number of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home health agencies. Ascension Health operates by far the most hospices at 239, while Tenet Healthcare dominates the ASC space with 518 ASCs – the most of any health system by a long shot.
As more care steadily shifts to outpatient settings like ASCs and urgent care centers, look for health systems to ramp up investments and form joint ventures with additional outpatient partners.
Learn more
Stay ahead of the curve in the dynamic healthcare landscape with Definitive Healthcare’s powerful healthcare data and analytics. Gain immediate access to critical M&A news and insights, empowering you to make informed decisions and seize new opportunities.
Want even more insights? Start a free trial today and get accesst o the latest intelligence on hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers.
You might also be interested in...
