UAB to acquire Ascension St. Vincent’s for $450 million

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The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will pay $450 million to acquire Ascension St. Vincent’s health system, one of central Alabama’s largest care providers.

UAB’s Board of Trustees approved the sale Tuesday, and it is expected to be completed this fall pending regulatory approvals.

The agreement authorizes UAB to assume ownership of all Ascension St. Vincent’s sites of care, including its four hospitals across central Alabama, the One Nineteen Campus, the Trussville Freestanding Emergency Department, imaging centers, and other network care providers. 

Alicia Rohan, UAB’s Director of External Public Relations, said Ascension approached UAB about the sale in 2023. The national health care system, which spans more than a dozen states, reported $3 billion in operating losses in the 2023 fiscal year according to Becker’s Hospital Review.

At a press conference Tuesday, UAB officials said patient care will not be interrupted by the sale. 

“St. Vincent’s patients will continue to have access to the health care services and providers they come to trust, and will also gain access to a larger care network of local services,” UAB Health System CEO Dawn Bulgarella said.

Bulgarella also addressed current St. Vincent’s employees, stating their jobs are not under threat. She said UAB will support the continuing operations of practitioners and will provide the opportunity for Ascension St. Vincent’s caregivers and associates to “essentially remain in their current positions without having to reapply for their jobs.” Bulgarella also said employee compensation and benefits are expected to be “comparable” to those currently provided. 

Both hospital systems will continue with normal operations until the sale is finalized and approved by regulatory bodies and the Catholic Church.

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