The Richmond County Hospital Authority has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire Trinity Hospital of Augusta, according to a joint announcement by Trinity and University Health Care System.  

The purchase, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions, is expected to be completed within the next 90 days, at which time Trinity will join the University Health Care System of hospitals, physician practices and specialty services at more than 10 locations in Georgia and South Carolina.

“We are excited to welcome Trinity Hospital of Augusta into our award-winning system,” said James R. Davis, University Health Care System President and Chief Executive Officer. “Small hospitals are struggling under the financial pressures of our evolving state and national health care landscape. University is proud to be able to share our success that enables us to preserve this community asset and use the Trinity campus to continue our tradition of high-quality care for Augusta and the surrounding region.”

University purchased the struggling McDuffie Regional Medical Center in Thomson in 2012, and built and opened a new 25-bed replacement hospital in 2015 named University Hospital McDuffie. The 581-bed flagship University Hospital is a national quality leader with a tradition of serving the Augusta region since 1818.

University will make offers of employment to all eligible staff at Trinity in good standing, subject to University’s standard review process.  Our teams will work to align operational systems in the coming weeks and months, Mr. Davis explained.

“Our integration teams are working diligently to make this transition as seamless as possible to patients, families, employees and physicians,” Mr. Davis said. “We look forward to this addition allowing us to increase our continuum of care and further accomplish our mission of improving the health of those we serve. We plan to take advantage of the strengths of each organization and capitalize on them to enhance services where and how they benefit the community the most.”

Trinity CEO Jason Studley said “Trinity Hospital of Augusta is joining a progressive system with a nearly 200-year tradition and history of caring for our community. I want to sincerely thank our staff and physicians for their commitment to our patients, their families, our community and our hospital.  We look forward to the weeks and months ahead as we enter this new chapter in our hospital’s history.”