Willow Creek Buyout Could be Soon

Whispers by the health care water cooler suggest Willow Creek Women’s Hospital will soon change owners.

Folks in the know indicate Triad Hospitals Inc. of Dallas plans to add Willow Creek to its Northwest Arkansas facilities. Triad owns two major hospitals under Northwest Health System, including Northwest Medical Center of Washington County.

Willow Creek CEO Charles Long said, “We’ve been having conversations with [Triad], but at the local level, maybe we’ll be the last to know.”

Triad and Northwest Medical Center wouldn’t directly confirm the rumblings either.

Bill Bradley, CEO of Northwest Health System, said it was his hospital’s policy not to comment on “speculation.” But the word is it’s already past that stage.

At 90,000 SF, Willow Creek is owned by MediSphere Health Partners Inc. of Nashville, Tenn. Parkhill Clinic for Women and Northwest Arkansas OB-GYN reside in the hospital.

Doctors at the two women’s clinics failed to return repeated telephone inquiries.