SSM Health's St. Anthony Hospitals and physicians group said on March 6 that they will not formally join with the University of Oklahoma's OU Medicine and the state agency that financially supports OU Medicine, which is the University Hospitals Authority and Trust.
Last fall, St. Louis-based SSM Health, OU Medicine and the University Hospitals Authority and Trust said they were working to form a joint operating company to oversee six of the partners' 23 central Oklahoma hospitals and affiliates. However, the recent announcement explained they were unable to finalize transactions to unite their governance and financial interests.
"Agreements such as these are very complex, especially when they involve the combination of a large public academic hospital and a private Catholic health care organization," the parties said in a news release.
The organizations said they will continue to pursue clinical collaborations and share best practices for care coordination.
Nashville-based Hospital Corporation of America, an investor-owned company, is a joint owner in OU Medical System hospitals and facilities. The University Hospitals Authority and Trust plans to buy HCA's interest in OU Medical System by late summer, a previously announced transaction.
Shelly Payne, a spokeswoman for SSM Health of Oklahoma, said the system did not have additional comment beyond the news release.
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