U.S. healthcare giant mulls Phl expansion

Healthcare giant Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) is eyeing to expand its footprint in the Philippines, with a probable investment of $300 million to $500 million to develop a premium, state-of-the-art tertiary hospital in the Philippines.

This was announced by John Starcher, president and CEO of BSMH, during his meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (SAPIEA), Secretary Frederick Go, on Monday in Washington, D.C.

The Cincinnati, Ohio-based BSMH has an existing operation in the Philippines via its Global Business Services (GBS) operations.

Currently one of the world’s largest not-for-profit health systems, BSMH has more than 50 hospitals, 1,200 care sites across the US and Ireland, and a global workforce of over 60,000.

It reported annual revenues of $5 billion in mid-2025, and has established a presence in the Philippines through its subsidiaries Nordic, which provides IT services, and BSMH Philippines, as back-end support services to its global operations.

Operations expansion

From a current team of 170 members, BSMH shared plans to expand its GBS operations in Manila to approximately 1,200 professionals, creating more high-quality jobs for Filipino talent.

If plans materialize, the center will operate alongside BSMH’s US-based teams to enhance the organization’s non-patient-facing capabilities and deliver upon its mission.

“As a $13-billion integrated Catholic health delivery system based in the United States, we’re proud to expand our global reach and deepen our existing commitment in the Philippines,” Starcher said.

Meanwhile, establishing the public-private partnership will provide opportunities for mutual benefit that will deliver modern facilities and premium medical services to the growing Filipino population, while supporting BSMH’s global workforce.

If realized, it would mark one of the largest private-sector healthcare investments by a US-based system in the Philippines, underscoring the country’s position as a strategic partner in healthcare innovation, infrastructure development, and talent growth.

Start exploring SoA delivery services

“After meeting with President Marcos Jr. today, we are excited to begin the aggressive exploration of developing state-of-the-art (SoA) healthcare delivery services to provide unique, premium access to the Filipinos and our associates,” Starcher added.

“That said, I couldn’t be more bullish on bringing new, premium healthcare services to the Philippines,” he stressed.

SAPIEA Secretary Go, for his part, welcomed BSMH’s expansion and investment plans. “This is a strong vote of confidence in the Philippines and a transformative opportunity for our healthcare and services sectors. We will work closely with BSMH to help turn their plans into reality. Their investment will generate meaningful jobs and help deliver world-class facilities, advanced medical equipment, and high-quality healthcare for the Filipino people,” he said.