Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2025	Dec. 31, 2024
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	[1]	$ 709,601	$ 556,785
Accounts receivable	[1]	686,102	743,031
Inventories	[1]	118,593	115,093
Prepaid expenses	[1]	112,646	113,749
Other current assets	[1]	431,882	304,093
Total current assets	[1]	2,058,824	1,832,751
Property and equipment, net	[1]	935,769	861,899
Goodwill	[1]	879,451	852,084
Other intangible assets	[1]	89,335	76,930
Deferred income taxes	[1]	6,888	12,321
Other assets	[1]	111,691	142,969
Total assets	[1]	5,290,208	4,956,100
Current liabilities:
Current installments of long-term debt	[1]	23,444	9,234
Accounts payable	[1]	457,936	401,249
Accrued salaries and benefits	[1]	296,260	295,117
Other accrued expenses and liabilities	[1]	268,904	239,824
Total current liabilities	[1]	1,046,544	945,424
Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Long-term debt, less current installments	[1]	1,075,782	1,085,818
Long-term operating lease liability		1,165,232
Self-insured liabilities	[1]	241,050	227,048
Other long-term liabilities	[1]	76,636	34,697
Total liabilities	[1]	3,605,244	3,433,743
Commitments and contingencies (see Note 13)	[1]
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	[1]	(1,250)	1,158
Equity:
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share; 50,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding	[1]	0	0
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share; 750,000,000 shares authorized; 142,864,171 and 142,747,818 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively	[1]	1,429	1,428
Additional paid-in capital	[1]	788,472	754,415
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income	[1]	(3,610)	9,737
Retained earnings	[1]	501,607	365,796
Equity attributable to Ardent Health, Inc.	[1]	1,287,898	1,131,376
Noncontrolling interests	[1]	398,316	389,823
Total equity	[1]	1,686,214	1,521,199
Total liabilities and equity	[1]	5,290,208	4,956,100
Nonrelated Party
Current assets:
Operating lease right of use assets	[1]	292,651	248,040
Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Long-term operating lease liability	[1]	260,600	221,443
Related Party
Current assets:
Operating lease right of use assets	[1]	915,599	929,106
Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Long-term operating lease liability	[1]	$ 904,632	$ 919,313

[1] As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the consolidated balance sheets included total liabilities of consolidated variable interest entities of $335.1 million and $306.4 million, respectively. Refer to Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, for further discussion.