Fairfield Medical Center joins Adena Health after FTC pushback on OhioHealth merger
Adena Health has acquired Fairfield Medical Center after a potential merger of Fairfield Medical Center with OhioHealth—the state’s largest health system—fell through, in part due to regulatory scrutiny. Talks about that merger went on for months as the potential deal between Adena and Fairfield was being negotiated as a secondary option.
The final acquisition was announced earlier this week, roughly three months after the organizations signed a nonbinding letter of intent, once it looked like OhioHealth would be unable to secure the deal.
Fairfield Medical Center will now operate as Adena Fairfield Medical Center, according to a statement. It is soon to be the health system’s fifth hospital.
Federal regulators were more comfortable with the Adena buyout, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) saying in a press release that it “coordinated closely with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office throughout its investigation” into antitrust concerns regarding the buyout of Fairfield.
Regarding the transaction going in Adena’s favor, Daniel Guarnera, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said the finalized plan “should serve as a reminder that we will stop bad hospital deals.”
In alignment with the FTC, the hospitals said the terms of the deal are the best for the Ohio communities they serve, including rural populations where local access to care is especially important.
“Today is a significant day in the more than 130-year history of Adena Health, as we welcome Adena Fairfield Medical Center,” Adena President and CEO Kathi Edrington said in the release. “Our mission calls us to serve our communities, and we believe the people who live and work in this region deserve access to high-quality care they can trust, close to home.”
The shared values and culture of the two organizations were an important part of the decision to unite, according to Adena.
“At its heart, healthcare is people helping people,” Matt Wideman, Fairfield Medical Center Board of Directors Chair, said in a statement. “Our people and the care they provide remain at the center of what we do, now with the additional resources, expertise, and scale that come with joining a larger health system. We believe this is the right decision for our patients, our people, and the communities who depend on us for their care.”
Fairfield Medical Center President and CEO Jack Janoso said joining the larger system provides a path for the hospital to continue serving the region long-term.
“Our responsibility has always been to ensure Fairfield Medical Center is positioned to serve our communities well into the future,” he added. “I believe joining Adena Health provides that strong path forward, and I am confident in all that is ahead.”
Adena, an independent nonprofit health system founded in 1895, has more than 50 locations, with about 6,000 employees serving patients across 11 counties in central and southern Ohio.
Fairfield Medical Center had operated as an independent nonprofit hospital serving the locals. It had been seeking a buyout into a larger system, citing financial woes.
In 2024, it looked to join OhioHealth—a system of 16 hospitals that serves 55 counties—but there were concerns that it would over-consolidate the market, resulting in the buyout by the smaller Adena.
The merger of Fairfield into Adena will begin immediately. Meanwhile, Adena said Fairfield will continue providing care to the patients and communities it has served while the organizations work together to support a smooth transition for patients and staff.
The financial terms were not revealed.
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