Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) plans to merge with Legacy Health, creating a hospital conglomerate that would become the largest employer in the Portland region, employing over 32,000 people and operating across more than 100 locations, including 10 hospitals. The merger would result in Legacy Health being absorbed by OHSU.
Nurse practitioners are in high demand as retailers like Amazon, CVS Health, Walmart, and Walgreens expand their primary care clinic offerings. According to a report from AMN Healthcare, nurse practitioners have been the most requested healthcare providers for the past three years. The rise of "convenient care" providers such as retail clinics and telemedicine platforms has fueled the demand for nurse practitioners. Average salary offers for nurse practitioners have increased by 9% this year, reaching $158,000. The entrance of large retailers into the healthcare market has led to bidding wars for primary care providers, with compensation for specialists also seeing a significant increase.
Kaiser Permanente, an integrated health system, has agreed to acquire Geisinger, a hospital operator based in Pennsylvania, in a move to create a new national player in the consolidating healthcare market. The combination would have over $100 billion in revenue and is subject to review by federal and state agencies.
University of Michigan Health has officially acquired Sparrow Health System, creating a statewide system of care with more than 200 sites of care across Michigan. UM officials plan to spend $800 million on Sparrow over the next eight years, funded through hospital operations and investments. The merger will expand specialty services into Sparrow's footprint in mid-Michigan, including plastic surgery offerings for complex cancers and complicated reconstructive surgeries, and anesthesia. Sparrow patients will continue to see their regular doctors, and Sparrow's medical team will continue reporting to their existing Sparrow department directors.