KU Health Acquires Full Ownership of St. Francis Campus in Topeka

By Will Crow

The University of Kansas Health System will acquire full ownership of St. Francis Campus, following a joint venture partnership with Ardent Health. Photo credit: The University of Kansas Health System & Ardent Health.

Posted September 30, 2026

The University of Kansas Health System has entered into an agreement to acquire full ownership of the St. Francis Campus in Topeka, following a nearly 10-year partnership with Ardent Health.

After the deal closes, KU Health will assume all operational responsibilities and clinical functions previously managed by Ardent Health, according to a Tuesday release. The deal is expected to close later this year.

SCL Health formerly owned the St. Francis campus. The campus faced financial concerns that could’ve resulted in closure. However, a partnership between Ardent Health and KU Health formed in 2017 to keep the campus operational and retain its staff.

Since then, the joint venture has expanded access to care through over 20 new clinics and outpatient care sites, in addition to cardiovascular and cancer care services.

“As St. Francis enters this exciting new era, we will continue to focus on what matters most: expanding access to exceptional care, supporting our local workforce and improving the health of the communities we serve,” Bob Page, CEO of KU Health System, said in the release. “This transition is aligned with our initial commitment to sustain and grow the hospital and clinics in service to future generations.”

Ardent Health will remain involved in daily campus operations for a time, according to the release. Both Ardent Health and KU Health are expected to complete the transition by the end of 2026.

“We regularly evaluate our portfolio to ensure we’re focusing our resources where our operating model, scale and capabilities can have the greatest impact and create long-term value,” Dave Caspers, president and CEO of Ardent Health, said in the release. “This transition reflects that approach, while positioning St. Francis to become more fully integrated with Kansas’s largest academic health system.”

Based in Brentwood, Tennessee, Ardent Health is a health system comprised of 30 acute care hospitals and more than 280 sites of care with over 2,000 employees across six states.