Capella Healthcare has completed the signing of a long-term lease for the 45-bed Muskogee Community Hospital, the competitor to the Muskogee Regional Medical Center it has owned since 2007. Muskogee Community Hospital was opened two years ago by a group of doctors. Now comes the fun part.

Over the next 30-60 days, the combined organization will enter a transition period. During this time, the Transition Team will be working closely with physicians and staff to determine the smartest ways to integrate care and to determine which services will be offered at each campus.

As was reported yesterday, Capella Healthcare is scheduled to enter a long-term lease agreement with Muskogee Community Hospital in Oklahoma.

A definitive lease agreement has been signed between Muskogee Community Hospital and Capella Healthcare, according to a media release from Capella. Capella, which leases and operates Muskogee Regional Medical Center, is scheduled to enter into a long-term lease of MCH and assume management of the 45-bed hospital as early as July 1, the release says.

 

“While there are still a number of conditions that need to be met prior to our finalizing the affiliation, this is one more milestone in our progress,” Michael Wiechart, chief operating officer of Capella Healthcare, said in the release.

 

MRMC spokeswoman Christina Deidesheimer said the hospital had no other information to offer “at this time.” Muskogee Community Hospital first released a media notice in July 2011 that said the two hospitals had signed a “letter of intent.” Capella announced March 14 the two hospitals were making “significant” progress toward a partnership.

With stockpiles of crude oil from the central United States approaching record highs, Delek US Holdings is working to reverse the flow of oil through a pipeline it acquired late last year. Delek officials say they have a contract with a major producer to ship the oil south starting next month and are eyeing other pipeline acquisitions.

At least 10 people were injured Tuesday after a number of fights broke out in the North Fork Correctional Facility run by Nashville-based Corrections Corp. of America in Oklahoma. The facility houses inmates from California, several of whom were critically injured.

The M&A attorneys for Vanguard Health Systems, Ardent Health Services, AmSurg, Community Health Systems and Brookdale Senior Living have been busy lately. Vanguard has completed its $210 million purchase of 51 percent of Texas hospital system Valley Baptist. Meanwhile, Ardent wrapped up its deal for two CHS hospitals in Oklahoma and AmSurg completed its acquisiton of Dallas-based National Surgical Care. Lastly, Brookdale put a bow on its acquisition of Horizon Bay Realty, whose assets are primarily in Texas and Florida. The last deal also involved negotiations for a Brookdale option to up to 20 percent of the U.S. portfolio of Chartwell Seniors Housing Real Estate Investment Trust.

The Federal Trade Commission has approved Ardent Health Services' proposed acquisition of two Oklahoma hospitals from fellow local chain Community Health Systems. The deal, announced a month ago, will grow Ardent's network in Oklahoma to 1,200 beds.