Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems has sold 121 hospitals over the last six years and is nearing the end of a multiyear divestiture plan, and at the same time, the system has invested heavily into the outpatient space, the Nashville Post reported Feb. 19.
Over the same time period, CHS has spent nearly $440 million in developing three ASCs and three freestanding outpatient-based emergency departments, with more in the pipeline.
System CEO Tim Hingtgen said the system pivoted to the outpatient space because the centers are less capital-intensive.
"We continue our emphasis on the development of service lines, thereby further increasing our acuity levels on the inpatient side," Mr. Hingtgen told the publication. "And our investments on the outpatient side are designed to expand entry points into our networks, providing more convenient out-of-hospital care environments that satisfy evolving consumer expectations about the availability and accessibility of healthcare services."
CHS still operates 85 hospitals in 16 states.
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