Baptist Memorial Health Care is a nonprofit health care system headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. It operates hospitals, clinics, physician practices, and related health care services across the Mid-South region of the United States, including Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.[2]
| Predecessor | Baptist Memorial Hospital |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1912 |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Purpose | Health care |
| Headquarters | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
Region served | Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas |
| Services | Hospital and health care services |
President and CEO | Jason Little[1] |
| Website | www |
The system traces its origins to Baptist Memorial Hospital, which opened in Memphis in 1912.[3] Baptist Memorial later expanded into a regional hospital network through the addition of hospitals and health care organizations in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, including major mergers with Mississippi Baptist Health Systems in 2017 and Anderson Regional Health System in 2024.[4][5]
History
editOrigins
editBaptist Memorial Health Care traces its origins to Baptist Memorial Hospital, a 150-bed hospital that opened in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1912.[3] The original hospital expanded over the following decades and, after the completion of an 18-story tower in 1967, reached 2,000 beds.[3]
Baptist began expanding beyond its original Memphis facilities in the early 1980s. Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton, built by Tipton County in 1964, joined Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation in 1981 and became the first hospital in the Baptist system outside Memphis.[6]
Mississippi Baptist Health Systems merger
editIn 2017, Baptist Memorial Health Care merged with Mississippi Baptist Health Systems, creating one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the United States.[4] The merger combined Baptist Memorial's 17 hospitals with four Mississippi Baptist hospitals and made the combined organization the largest health care provider in the Mid-South.[4]
Anderson Regional merger
editIn October 2023, Baptist Memorial Health Care and Anderson Regional Health System announced a merger agreement that would add two hospitals in Meridian, Mississippi, to the Baptist system.[7] The merger was completed in January 2024, and Anderson Regional Medical Center was renamed Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center.[5]
Recent developments
editIn 2025, Baptist Memorial Health Care completed the purchase of OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville, Mississippi, from Oktibbeha County. The hospital was renamed Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County after the sale closed.[8]
In February 2026, Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould, Arkansas, merged with Baptist Memorial Health Care, becoming Baptist Memorial's 25th hospital and its third hospital in Arkansas.[9]
In June 2026, Baptist Memorial Health Care announced an agreement to assume the lease and operations of Merit Health Rankin, a 134-bed hospital in Brandon, Mississippi. The transition was expected to occur in the second half of 2026.[10]
Operations
editBaptist Memorial Health Care operates hospitals, clinics, physician practices, and related health care services across Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. As of June 2026, Becker's Hospital Review reported that the system operated 25 hospitals and employed more than 24,000 people.[11]
S&P Global Ratings described Baptist Memorial Health Care as serving a 58-county service area in western Tennessee, Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas, covering a population of more than three million.[12]
The system includes Baptist Medical Group, a physician organization with more than 1,500 providers in more than 40 specialties and more than 200 clinics.[13]
Education and training
editBaptist Memorial Health Care operates Baptist Health Sciences University, a private health sciences institution in Memphis, Tennessee.[14] The university offers programs in nursing, health administration, biomedical sciences, medical imaging, medical laboratory science, population health, and osteopathic medicine.[15]
The university includes the Baptist University College of Osteopathic Medicine, which opened in 2024 in the Memphis Medical District.[16] The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine describes Baptist Memorial Health Care as the clinical partner for the college's students, providing learning opportunities across the health system's hospitals, clinics, cancer care network, ambulatory services, and physician network.[17]
References
edit- ↑ "HEALTHCARE LEADER: Jason M. Little". Memphis Medical News. 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ "Locations". Baptist Memorial Health Care. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- 1 2 3 "Baptist Memorial Hospital, Memphis, 1968". University of Memphis Digital Commons. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- 1 2 3 "Baptist Memorial Health Care, Mississippi Baptist Health merge to create one of country's largest nonprofits". Healthcare Finance News. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- 1 2 "Tennessee hospital system completes acquisition of Mississippi system". Chief Healthcare Executive. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton". Baptist Memorial Health Care. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "Baptist Memorial, Anderson Regional to form 24-hospital system". Becker's Hospital Review. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "County nets $30.5M in proceeds from OCH sale". The Dispatch. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ "Baptist Memorial Health Care adds 25th hospital". Becker's Hospital Review. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ "Baptist Memorial to take over Merit Health Rankin hospital". Mississippi Today. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ Condon, Alan (2026-06-03). "Baptist Memorial Health Care to add 26th hospital, a 134-bed facility". Becker's Hospital Review. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ "Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp., TN Various Debt Ratings Raised To 'A-' On Improved Finances". S&P Global Ratings. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ "About Baptist Medical Group". Baptist Medical Group. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ "History". Baptist Health Sciences University. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ "Academics". Baptist Health Sciences University. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ Mäki, Aisling (2024-04-01). "First Look: Baptist to open $34M College of Osteopathic Medicine". The Daily Memphian. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ "Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine". American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Retrieved 2026-06-10.