BayCare Health System Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Bartow Regional Medical Center

Clearwater, Fla., (October 16, 2015) -- BayCare Health System has signed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of the 72-bed Bartow Regional Medical Center and related physician clinics and outpatient care facilities from subsidiaries of Community Health Systems, Inc. 

 “A second BayCare hospital in Polk County will help to anchor other health services needed by this large and growing county, while forming the broader geographic footprint needed for future health care models like population health,” said BayCare Hospital Division President and Executive Vice President Glenn Waters.

By connecting Bartow Regional Medical Center with Winter Haven Hospital and South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City, it forms a triad of BayCare hospitals to anchor a continuum of broader community health services in Eastern Hillsborough and Polk County.

“Bartow Regional is well situated for a changing role in which hospitals will proactively engage with their physicians and the community to improve health in addition to caring for the sick that come through their hospital doors,” said Waters.  “We’re very excited about welcoming Bartow Regional to a tightknit, but diverse family of Florida providers that span the care continuum.  As an integrated delivery system, BayCare encourages health care professionals to share best practices that improve quality and coordinate care for patients in four contiguous counties.”

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the fourth quarter of 2015, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, and until complete, current ownership will remain in place. 

About BayCare

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 13 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.  For more information visit www.baycare.org