Statement Regarding Fairfield Medical Center’s Sale to Adena Health
On Sept. 1, 2026, Adena Health announced its acquisition of Fairfield Medical Center (FMC), a hospital system in southeastern Ohio. The announcement follows a Federal Trade Commission investigation of an earlier attempt by a different acquirer—OhioHealth—to buy FMC. Commission staff’s investigation of OhioHealth’s proposed acquisition of FMC raised serious competitive concerns: the proposed…
On September 1, 2026, Adena Health announced it had acquired Fairfield Medical Center (FMC), a southeastern Ohio hospital system, after an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) into previous attempts by OhioHealth to buy FMC. The FTC was concerned about the competitive effects of these deals, as they risked raising costs and reducing care quality for Ohioans.
After carefully coordinating with the Ohio Attorney General's Office, the FTC encouraged FMC to seek alternative buyers through a comprehensive sales process. This process attracted interest from multiple potential buyers, leading to the abandonment of OhioHealth's proposed transaction and FMC's partnership with Adena Health. The partnership allows FMC to continue serving Ohio patients without the competitive risks of the earlier OhioHealth deal.
FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson and Commissioner Mark R. Meador issued a joint statement emphasizing the Commission's commitment to enforcing antitrust laws and preserving competition in healthcare, especially in rural communities. FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera also commented, stating that the Commission will take action against bad hospital deals and is vigilant in protecting patients and employees in rural areas.
Written by urgent.news from FTC Competition's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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