Ohio health system strikes deal to acquire hospital

The TriHealth system has reached an agreement to acquire Clinton Memorial Hospital, a 140-bed hospital in Wilmington, Ohio.

TriHealth, based in Cincinnati, has reached an agreement to acquire Clinton Memorial Hospital in Wilmington, Ohio.

When the deal is complete, Clinton Memorial would become the sixth acute care hospital in the TriHealth system. TriHealth operates more than 140 care sites throughout the greater Cincinnati region.

State regulators and local officials in Clinton County must sign off on the deal. The systems announced the agreement this week, and they said they hope to complete the transaction in the third quarter of 2025.

Mark C. Clement, president and CEO of TriHealth, says the system has had a long history of collaborating with Clinton Memorial.

Clement also touted the prospect of bringing additional services to Wilmington and surrounding Clinton County, including cancer, cardiovascular, stroke and women’s health services.

“Bringing CMH into the TriHealth system is an exciting next step in this partnership as it will enable us to collaborate more closely with local physicians to extend TriHealth’s nationally recognized service lines, innovative population health care models, and world class specialists to Clinton County, all to serve more patients, better in the local community while creating seamless access to the most advanced tertiary care when needed,” Clement said in a statement.

TriHealth also said it is looking to expand its population health model along the Interstate 71 corridor.

• Read more: Why analysts now expect fewer hospital mergers in the near future

Tom Daskalakis, CEO of Clinton Memorial Hospital, acknowledged the growing difficulty for community hospitals. He said joining with TriHealth would help ensure the hospital’s ability to serve the area for years to come.

“As community hospitals face continuing challenges in today’s complex healthcare environment, we recognize that becoming part of a vibrant regional system like TriHealth will enable us to continue that legacy while providing seamless access to care for our patients and community for years to come,” Daskalakis said in a statement.

Officials said it’s unclear if Clinton Memorial will retain its name, and said branding decisions will take place when the deal is completed.

TriHealth also pointed to its record of partnering with hospitals and providers serving rural communities to expand services.

“Welcoming Clinton Memorial Hospital into the TriHealth system aligns with TriHealth’s mission and vision to provide accessible, high-quality, lower cost and population health-based care to residents of Southwest Ohio and surrounding areas,” Clement said in a statement.

TriHealth enjoys a stable outlook and an “AA-” rating from Fitch Ratings, as the system holds a strong position in the highly competitive Cincinnati market.

“TriHealth is the market leader for a number of key inpatient and outpatient service lines,” including cardiovascular and oncology, Fitch said in a December 2024 report. TriHealth also enjoys a strong mix of payers and is the market share leader for commercially insured patients, according to Fitch.

The system has also shown it intends to expand its footprint, including ambulatory clinics and physician practices, Fitch said.

Established in 1951, Clinton Memorial has been serving the Wilmington area for nearly 75 years. While Wilmington is a small city of about 12,000 residents, it’s about an hour from Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus.

• Read more: Northwell Health, Nuvance Health complete merger, forming $22B system