Intermountain Health plans $1.15B deal to expand presence in Idaho

Intermountain Health has been an investor in a healthcare network that includes two hospitals in southeastern Idaho, and now the health system is looking to obtain bigger stakes in the facilities.

Intermountain said last week it’s pursuing a deal to obtain full ownership in Idaho Falls Community Hospital, which has about 90 beds, and the system is looking to gain partial ownership of Mountain View Hospital. The two hospitals also operate more than 60 associated clinics.

Since 2023, Intermountain has been a part owner of the network with Surgery Partners and local physicians. Now, Intermountain is looking to acquire Surgery Partners’ ownership interests in the network. The network employs more than 2,300 doctors and caregivers. Surgery Partners said in a news release that the transaction is valued at about $1.15 billion.

Intermountain says if the deal is finalized, operations will remain separate and the existing management team would remain in place. Regulators must still approve the deal. Mountain View Hospital’s physician governing board also must sign off on the transaction, officials said.

James Adamson, CEO of Mountain View Hospital and Idaho Falls Community Hospital, referred to Intermountain’s ongoing commitment to the hospitals and the region, he said in a statement to the Idaho State Journal.

“They believe in our vision and our teams, and they want to empower us to continue delivering the personalized care our organizations are known for,” Adamson said in the statement. “We believe this growing partnership will bring positive benefits to our patients and our teams, and there will be few noticeable changes on the ground. The intent is for both hospitals to continue to be locally managed, with leadership, jobs and compensation remaining unchanged as part of this deal.”

Eric Evans, chief executive officer of Surgery Partners, said in a statement that the deal positions the company to focus more on ambulatory surgery center space, which is growing rapidly as more patients prefer care on an outpatient basis.

“While our Idaho Falls partnerships have been a large and successful part of our Company’s growth story, these unique facilities are best positioned for their next chapter of growth with an outstanding regional health system like Intermountain,” Evans said in the statement.

It’s been a busy few weeks for Intermountain Health. Intermountain and AdventHealth have announced plans to establish a joint venture to operate eight hospitals and their associated clinics in the Denver area.

Under the plans, AdventHealth would manage the day-to-day operations of the facilities, including three Intermountain hospitals: Good Samaritan Hospital, Lutheran Hospital and Platte Valley Hospital. The joint venture would also include off-site emergency and urgent care centers and other clinics.

Intermountain’s planned deal with the Idaho hospitals reflects the uptick in hospital merger activity seen so far this year. In the first half of 2026, there were 40 announced hospital mergers and acquisitions, according to Kaufman Hall, a healthcare consulting firm. That nearly matches the 46 hospital deals reported all last year, which represented a 15-year low. But analysts say more hospitals are making deals or at least pursuing partnerships.

Based in Salt Lake City, Intermountain operates 34 hospitals and about 400 clinics in six states: Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming.

• Read more: Prisma Health plans to acquire Erlanger Health System: Questions and answers