Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould, Arkansas, and Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis announced they have signed a non-binding letter of intent to complete a shared mission agreement to merge the two organizations.

Baptist Memorial Health Care has 24 hospitals in West Tennessee, Mississippi and Northeast Arkansas, with two of those hospitals in Crittenden and Craighead counties in Arkansas. Baptist, which had a net operating revenue of $4.4 billion in fiscal year 2024, most recently completed successful mergers with Anderson Regional Health System in Meridian, Mississippi, in 2024 and Mississippi Baptist Health System based in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2017.

“I am excited by the incredible opportunity to merge our two organizations,” said Jason Little, president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care. “Arkansas Methodist Medical Center has similar values to Baptist Memorial Health Care and an excellent reputation in the community. By combining our organizations, we can expand the reach of sustainable and quality health care in the region while creating a strong organization with the size, scale, technology and intellectual capital to expand access to care while weathering future challenges.”

“Merging with Baptist Memorial Health Care is an exciting opportunity for both Baptist and Arkansas Methodist Medical Center and, most importantly, for the community we serve,” said Brad Bloemer, CEO of Arkansas Methodist Medical Center. “With Baptist’s strong market presence and long track record of delivering premier health care in both small, rural communities and large, metropolitan areas, they’re the perfect partner to help us grow and improve. Together, we can expand access to more health care services, bring in more specialists and specialty services, modernize our facility, and ensure these health care services stay close to home. For 75 years, Arkansas Methodist Medical Center has been committed to providing exceptional health care to our community. This partnership will allow us to honor that promise while continuing to expand and enhance the care we provide, thus serving as a beacon of health, hope and healing for our patients, staff and community.”

Baptist Memorial and AMMC are in the early phases of discussions but expect to finalize an agreement by early 2026

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