Prisma Health will not acquire KershawHealth, Providence Health after agreement terminated

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A proposed acquisition of three regional hospitals by Prisma Health will not happen.

In March 2020, Prisma entered into an agreement with LifePoint Health to acquire Providence Health and Providence Health Northeast in Columbia, KershawHealth in Camden, and a freestanding emergency room in Fairfield County.

Prisma officials said both they and LifePoint Health wanted the deal to go through but “they have determined it is in the best interests of all organizations involved, their employees, and those they serve, to end their pursuit of this acquisition.”

The reason cited was a complicated regulatory process.

“While both parties anticipated that the acquisition would have a complex regulatory path, significant delays and challenges with the Federal Trade Commission and state regulatory authorities have made it prohibitive to move forward,” a spokeswoman for Prisma said. “Moving forward, all of the hospitals remain committed to providing high-quality care across the Midlands, including their respective ongoing leadership in supporting their communities through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”