St. Luke's finalizes plans for $10 billion merger with St. Louis health system

St. Luke's, a Kansas City-based health system that operates 14 hospitals in Kansas and Missouri, has finalized plans to merge with BJC Healthcare in St. Louis. The two systems expect to complete the $10 billion deal by Jan. 1.
Updated Nov. 29 with information on finalized agreement

St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare has finalized a merger agreement with St. Luke’s Health System, of Kansas City.

The two companies announced their intent to complete the $10 billion merger in May, but the Federal Trade Commission and other regulators needed to sign off on the agreement before it could take effect.

The two health systems expect to finalize the deal by Jan. 1, with St. Luke’s officially joining the BJC system.

“As two nonprofit academic health systems we are ideal partners as we look to meet the evolving health care needs of our community,” said BJC President and CEO Richard Liekweg, who will become CEO of the combined system, in a letter to BJC patients. St. Luke’s CEO Melinda Estes will retire at the end of the year.