AdventHealth to take over 3 Denver-area Intermountain hospitals

Key Points:

• AdventHealth will assume daily operations of three Denver-area hospitals owned by Intermountain Health—Lutheran Hospital, Platte Valley Hospital, and Good Samaritan Hospital—along with associated clinics and emergency centers, under a planned joint venture announced by both health systems.
• The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, pending regulatory approval, with details about the joint venture structure and Intermountain’s ongoing role remaining undisclosed; AdventHealth emphasized the partnership is not a sale.
• Intermountain, based in Utah with 29 hospitals there, is exploring potential partnerships for Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver but has not mentioned plans for its Grand Junction hospital; AdventHealth currently operates five hospitals and numerous facilities in the Denver metro area.
• Some hospitals involved, like Lutheran and Platte Valley, have been identified as financially vulnerable, raising questions about the motivations behind the joint venture, while industry experts suggest such partnerships may be structured to avoid legal challenges and antitrust scrutiny.
• The deal follows a trend of health systems expanding market share through joint ventures or similar arrangements, as seen with other Colorado health systems, potentially impacting competition and patient choice in the region.