Morgantown-based WVU Medicine announced Wednesday that it’s acquiring the struggling five-hospital Independence Health System, expanding WVU’s reach from Fayette County to cover all of Westmoreland, Butler, Clarion and some surrounding counties, while also bumping Allegheny Health Network from its place as the region’s second largest medical provider.

As part of the deal, WVU Medicine will invest $800 million over the next five years to upgrade IHS hospitals, including the Butler Memorial Hospital emergency room and the Westmoreland Hospital campus. IHS will also benefit from WVU Medicine’s scale and expertise.

Terms of the merger, which is expected to close in fall 2026, were not disclosed. State and federal regulatory approval, and also bondholder consent, is pending. Employees were no

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