Baptist Memorial Health Care, which is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, and Anderson Regional Health System (ARHS), located in Meridian, Mississippi, have signed a shared mission agreement with plans to formally merge in January 2024.
Baptist Memorial is a not-for-profit health system that operates 22 hospitals across West Tennessee, Mississippi and East Arkansas. It is the largest health system in Mississippi and the state’s fourth largest employer.
“We are excited to join forces with ARHS to extend our faith-based mission to this part of Mississippi,” said Jason Little, president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care. “Both organizations are proud of the exceptional care we provide. ARHS has a proven track record of success in this region, and we’re very experienced in delivering care in all types of Mississippi communities. We have more than two centuries of combined health care experience, and we want to use this knowledge and expertise to bring a new level of care to this community.”
Baptist Memorial and Anderson share a similar foundation, with each having a long-standing history of community-based health care and a strong reputation for high-quality care. Baptist Memorial started in 1912 with one hospital in downtown Memphis, and it is now one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health systems. Anderson first opened in 1928 as a 30-bed infirmary and is now a comprehensive regional health system serving East Central Mississippi and West Central Alabama. With this partnership, Baptist Memorial will serve more than half of Mississippi’s population.
“As part of our strategic plan to strengthen the mission of ARHS, a partnership with a larger health system provides a number of benefits for patients, physicians and employees,” said John G. Anderson, president and CEO of Anderson Regional Health System. “The combination of these two faith-based systems supports a shared vision to enhance the delivery of clinical services. By joining Baptist Memorial, ARHS will be stronger and more equipped to meet the needs of our patients for many years to come.”
After merging with Baptist Memorial, Anderson will maintain operations with local leadership, and patients will continue receiving advanced, high quality care, close to home.