Ascension Health subsidiary Saint Thomas Health acquires locally owned Baptist Hospital in midtown Nashville, creating the largest faith-based health system in the area. Along with the midtown hospital, Ascension takes on $187 million in debt from Baptist. The newly formed system also includes the jointly owned Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, and Baptist’s hospitals in Centerville and Smithville.

In 2013, after owning the Baptist hospitals for nearly 12 years, Saint Thomas Health changes the hospitals’ names to match the expanding network’s brand.