Orlando Health to acquire Regional Medical Center in Anniston, city leaders say
Loading...
Summary
Anniston officials announced Orlando Health will acquire the city-owned Regional Medical Center; leaders said the deal brings capital investments, staffing resources and expanded clinical services to Anniston and nearby counties, though financial terms were not disclosed.
Sierra Smith Ralston, mayor of Anniston, announced that Orlando Health will acquire Regional Medical Center, a city-owned hospital, calling the partnership “an important step forward for the future of health care in our community.”
City and hospital leaders said the agreement is intended to strengthen the hospital’s financial foundation and expand services. Keith Parrott, president and CEO of RMC Health System, said that despite local improvements over the past year — “we've been rebuilding our culture, expanding service lines, and improving our patient experience” — RMC needed support from a larger system to complete a broader transformation.
Ralston said the hospital facility is owned by the city and that the Anniston City Council, after evaluation with the Regional Medical Center Health Care Authority, determined that partnering with Orlando Health “was the best path forward to protect long term health care access for our community and region.” She framed the decision as stewardship of a public asset to ensure continued local access to care.
An Orlando Health representative described the Jacksonville-based system as “a private nonprofit health care system with more than [a] 100 year history of serving communities,” and pointed to prior activity in Alabama, including Orlando Health’s recent acquisition of the Baptist Health System in Birmingham. The representative said the acquisition of RMC will bring “significant capital investments, additional resources for physician and staff recruitment, and expanded clinical resources” to benefit Anniston and Calhoun County.
City and hospital officials did not provide sale price, specific timelines for the transfer of operations, or dollar figures for the planned investments during the announcement. Parrott said the partnership will “position our hospital to better serve the people of Anniston and the entire region for years to come,” and pledged that leaders would keep the public informed as the next steps proceed.
The announcement said Orlando Health and RMC leaders intend to work with local physicians, team members and community leaders to strengthen clinical services, but did not outline formal approvals required beyond the city’s internal decision. The transcript did not record a formal vote or a detailed timetable; financial terms and regulatory approvals were not specified.
Officials closed the statement thanking city leaders and promising ongoing communication as the acquisition and integration proceed.
