Ascension is selling nine of its Illinois hospitals — more than half of its hospitals in the state — to a large, California-based health system, it announced Thursday. Ascension plans to sell the hospitals, along with four of its post-acute and senior living facilities, to Prime Healthcare. Neither Prime nor Ascension disclosed the sale price Thursday. The hospitals slated to be sold to Prime include: Ascension Holy Family in Des Plaines, Ascension Mercy in Aurora, Ascension Resurrection in Chicago, Ascension St.