Rural Hospital Mergers and Acquisitions: Which Hospitals Are Being Acquired and How Are They Performing Afterward?

The number of stand-alone rural hospitals has been shrinking as larger health systems target these hospitals for mergers and acquisitions (M and As). However, little research has focused specifically on rural hospital M and A transactions. Using data from Irving Levin Associates' Healthcare M and A Report and Medicare Cost Reports from 2005 to 2012, we examined two research questions: (1) What were the characteristics of rural hospitals that merged or were acquired, and (2) were there changes in rural hospital financial performance, staffing, or services after an M and A transaction? We used logistic regression to identify factors predictive of merger, and we used multiple regression to examine various hospital measures after an M or A. Study results showed that hospitals with weaker financial performance but lower staffing levels and staffing costs were more likely to merge or be acquired. Statistically weak evidence suggested that operating margins declined after the merger; stronger evidence suggested reductions in salary expense. There was no statistically significant evidence of changes to the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, the service lines that were included in the study, capital expenditures, or the amount of debt financing among the hospitals that merged or were acquired. M and A may not result in a rapid influx of capital, a relief of debt burden, or an improvement in bottom-line profitability. However, M and A may be a viable option for maintaining the hospital and the access to care it provides.