Community Health Systems of Franklin, Tenn., Monday completed acquisition of Hospital Management Associates (HMA) in a $7.6 billion deal that gives CHS ownership of 14 of HMA’s Mississippi hospitals and medical facilities including Tri-Lakes Medical Center in Batesville according to a report in the Mississippi Business Journal.

The transaction creates the nation’s second largest for-profit hospital chain by revenue, with more than 200 facilities according to the MBJ report.

“At the end of the day we’ve all got our jobs to do here locally,” Tri-Lakes CEO Wes Sigler told Batesville Rotary Club in August of last year when the pending sale was revealed, adding, “taking care of patients, recruiting physicians . . .this is really not going to change anything in our local market.”

Dr. Mike Havens said at the time, “From a physician’s standpoint, we don’t expect any changes.”
In 2009 Tri-Lakes was purchased in U.S. Bankruptcy Court by a local physicians syndicate, Alliance Health Partners, formed by Havens and other local doctors Ramond Rosenkrans, Billy Haire, Lee Linder, R.C. Purhoit, Tom Crowson and by Greg Cantrell.

In 2011 HMA acquired a controlling interest in Alliance Health Partners with the physicians syndicate maintaining a minority interest in Tri-Lakes according to a published announcement.