Gadsden Regional, Riverview Rigional and Stringfellow Memorial Hospitals to merge

Gadsdens two hospital will be coming under one corporate umbrella.   Community Health Systems Inc., parent company of Gadsden Regional Medical Center, has announced they will merge with Health Management Associates Inc., parent company of Riverview Regional Medical Center and Stringfellow hospital in Anniston.  Community Health systems will acquire health management associates for about $7.6 billion, including taking on about $3.7 billion of debt. When the merger is complete, once complete the company will own or operate about 206 hospitals in 29 states.  Under the terms of the agreement, Community Health Systems will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common stock of HMA for a combination of cash and CHS stock. HMA shareholders will own about 16 percent of the shares of the combined company following the close of the transaction.