Nonprofit health system Bon Secours Mercy Health plans to acquire Surgery Partners in a $5.7 billion deal that could make it one of the largest operators of ambulatory surgery centers in the United States. The system announced on Monday that it intends to buy the publicly traded chain, which operates more than 200 ambulatory surgery centers, short-stay hospitals, and multispecialty physician practices across 30 states.
Ambulatory surgery centers are outpatient facilities where patients undergo procedures and go home the same day. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. According to STAT, the move is likely to increase the Catholic health system's profitability and its negotiating leverage with health insurers. The deal would also deepen Bon Secours Mercy Health's existing ties with private equity firm Bain Capital.
This purchase fits a broader trend in which traditional hospital operators, both nonprofit and for-profit, are rapidly buying up ambulatory surgery centers. These facilities are viewed as attractive investments because payment changes in Medicare and steering by commercial insurers are shifting more procedures into outpatient settings, where costs are generally lower.
The market activity is not limited to Bon Secours Mercy Health. Earlier this year, nonprofit system Ascension paid $3.9 billion for Amsurg, expanding its network of ambulatory surgery centers to approximately 300 locations.