Kindred Healthcare (NYSE: KND) is at it again. The Louisville, Kentucky-based long-term care company announced its acquisition of a broad portfolio of home health, hospice and personal care services under the aegis of the Arkansas Department of Health. Kindred won a state bidding process with a bid of $39 million.
The targets include 74 home health locations serving 69 counties in the state, seven offices providing hospice services in 42 counties, and its personal care services business that assists patients with daily living activities. The transaction will expand Kindred’s services from six offices providing home health and hospice in four counties to offices providing home health, hospice and personal care services in 70 of the 75 counties in Arkansas.
This announcement follows Kindred’s acquisition of nine home health offices in South Carolina, for which it paid $18 million. In February 2016, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control agreed to sell to Kindred licenses to provide home health services in all 46 counties. That deal expanded Kindred’s services from 10 offices serving 22 South Carolina counties to 19 offices serving the entire state.
The company agreed to hire all employees and to take over patients upon their consent. At the time of the transaction’s announcement, Kindred said it intended to open additional offices and expand its home health services in the state.
This year, Kindred has added two hospices to its Kindred at Home Hospice division: HopeBridge Hospice, LLC in Cleveland, Ohio and Samaritan Care Hospice of Osceola, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. HopeBridge Hospice joined two transitional care hospitals, two assisted living facilities, three nursing centers, a co-located hospital-based sub-acute unit, home health and non-medical home care services already operating under the Kindred banner in the Cleveland market. Samaritan Care became part of six home health locations Kindred operates around Orlando.