Arizona Urgent Care Market Tightens

Banner Health just threw its hat in the ring for the title of largest urgent care operator in Arizona. The not-for-profit health system, which operates 29 hospitals in seven states, just announced its acquisition of 32 Urgent Care Extra facilities in that state, primarily around Phoenix and Tucson. The clinics will be rebranded as Banner Urgent Care and join three other urgent care centers currently run by the health system. Two of those are in Colorado, and one is in Arizona. Banner plans to have as many as 50 urgent care centers in Arizona by the end of 2017, which would make it the largest urgent care operator in the state. Banner may have some competition from two other... Read More »

Patient Experience Data Draws Big Money

EQT, a Swedish private equity firm with approximately €30 billion in raised capital, announced it was taking Press Ganey Holdings (NYSE: PGND) private with a purchase price of $2.35 billion, or $40.50 a share. Press Ganey made its mark by offering patient experience solutions to measure and analyze data collected directly from patients, including patient experience insights measured through several electronic modes; and caregiver engagement solutions comprising physician, nurse and, employee alignment and engagement solutions. It also provides clinical and quality solutions, such as Nursing Quality Indicators, a program that collects data on a set of nursing-sensitive process, structure,... Read More »

BioClinica Adds Compass Research

Private equity-backed Bioclinica Inc. expanded its clinical research offerings with the July 2016 acquisition of Compass Research, LLC, a Florida-based clinical research site network that has direct access to a number of specialized populations with neurodegenerative disorders and other diseases found in aging demographics. The acquisition solidifies Bioclinica’s position as a leading global research network, and the only one with investigator sites in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Compass Research’s state-of-the-art facilities in Orlando have supported more than 1,300 trials and contributed to the FDA approval of more than 80 biopharmaceutical products.... Read More »

Kroger Gobbles Up ModernHEALTH

Specialty pharmacy deals are usually few and far between. But this year, we’ve seen six deals announced in the first seven months. The most recent is from Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), the giant food and consumer goods retailer. Kroger acquired Modern HC Holdings, the parent company of ModernHEALTH, and plans to merge it with its own specialty pharmacy subsidiary, Axium Pharmacy Holdings. Financial terms were not disclosed. Specialty pharmacy ModernHEALTH has been a portfolio company of Altamont Capital Partners since July 2012, and has grown considerably with Altamont’s help. As Modern Healthcare, the company served customers with complex pharmaceutical therapies, including HIV,... Read More »

Ambulance Companies Speed Up Consolidation

2015 was a big year for medical transportation companies to combine, as six transactions were throughout the year. Halfway through 2016, three more deals have been announced. The most recent involves two Texas companies. Allegiance Mobile Health in Georgetown, Texas serves a population of more than 15 million around the state. In July it acquired San Antonio-based Gemini Ambulance Service, which provides local medical transportation services. In June, Air Medical Group Holdings, a portfolio company of KKR & Co., paid an undisclosed amount for California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR), which operated as a not-for-profit organization at the time. CALSTAR served the entire state of... Read More »

June 2016 M&A Results Show Strength

Uncertainty is the hobgoblin of the merger and acquisition markets, and the month of June was a high point (or low point, depending on your perspective) for anxiety in global financial markets. Still, the healthcare deals kept rolling in. Our preliminary total for June 2016 stands at 115 transactions, exactly equal with the same month a year ago. Compared with May’s total of 141 deals, though, June’s total does look as if someone is applying the brakes. It takes 12 months to make a year, though, and one month’s results do not create a trend. The digital health sector turned in the strongest gain compared with June 2015, when only two deals were announced. This June, 22 deals were announced... Read More »