Netsmart Builds Out its Community Care Platform

Netsmart Technologies is expanding into long-term and post-acute care. The company announced its acquisition of HealthMEDX®, which develops electronic medical record (EMR) solutions for long-term and post-acute care providers, including continuing care retirement communities, assisted living, independent living, skilled nursing and home care providers. Netsmart Technologies provides post-acute electronic health records (EHRs) and technology for health and human services providers. It was acquired in March 2016 by a joint venture between Allscripts Healthcare Solutions and private equity firm GI Partners for $950 million. The addition of long-term care capabilities establishes Netsmart as... Read More »

Medical Staffing Companies Attract Private Investors

Labor shortages in the healthcare industry aren’t a new topic. Earlier this year, the Association of American Medical Colleges warned that the United States could lose as many as 100,000 doctors by 2025, up to one-third of those being primary care physicians. A shortage of registered nurses has been discussed since 1965, by one account. That makes the market for medical staffing companies of particular interest to investors. M&A activity in this subsector has grown in recent years, from a single deal in 2013 to eight deals in 2015. Through the end of October 2016, six deals targeting medical staffing companies are on the books. The majority of acquirers have been another staffing... Read More »

Acadia Healthcare Tidies Up Its UK Portfolio

With three announced acquisitions on the books in 2016, Acadia Healthcare Company (NASDAQ: ACHC) was forced to sell some of its portfolio, for a change. The Franklin, Tennessee-based behavioral health company has been quite active over in the United Kingdom since 2014, when it acquired Partnerships in Care (PiC) for $662 million.At the time, PiC was the second largest independent provider of behavioral healthcare services in the United Kingdom, operating 23 inpatient psychiatric facilities with more than 1,200 beds. The sale worked out to 2.3x price-to-revenue and 8.8x price-to-EBITDA. In 2015, Acadia added Care UK, Choice Lifestyles and The Manor Clinic. Care UK operates 15 inpatient... Read More »

Epic Health Expands Pediatric Skilled Nursing Services

The term “skilled nursing” usually brings to mind senior care facilities. Yet Epic Health Services, a portfolio company of Webster Capital, has built a strong platform of pediatric skilled nursing services since its founding in 2001.The Dallas, Texas-based company announced its fifth acquisition of 2016 in October, one that significantly expands its geographic footprint and adds a new line of services to its pediatric healthcare business. The target, Norcross, Georgia-based Pediatria Healthcare for Kids, provides pediatric home health care services to medically complex children. It operates 29 locations across eight states, offering pediatric private duty nursing and... Read More »

Pharmacy Software Companies Merge

Specialty pharmacies have attracted a lot of interest from private equity firms in 2016. Now it’s specialty pharmacy services companies that are beginning to see consolidation. In October, Rx30, a portfolio company of GTCR since June 2015, merged with another pharmacy software supplier, privately held Computer Rx. Rx30 develops and supplies pharmacy management software solutions to the independent, hospital, long-term care and specialty pharmacy markets. Computer Rx has a similar focus, which includes community pharmacies. Rx30’s CEO Steve Wubker will lead the combined business. Roger Warkentine, founder of Computer Rx, will continue as an advisor to the combined business, and... Read More »

REIT-backed Hospital Deals Accelerate

Now that hospitals and health systems have realized most of the benefits they expected from the Affordable Care Act, the mergers and acquisitions in the hospital sector have been supplanted by partnerships, clinical collaborations, joint ventures, strategic alliances and affiliations. But there is one group of acquirers still on the prowl: real estate investment trusts (REITs). Their interest and investment in this sector has grown since 2014, when only three REIT-sponsored deals were announced.  Those deals targeted one hospital each, with a total of 94 beds. Combined spending was $1.27 billion. The action picked up in 2015, with six REIT-backed deals announced. The largest was made by... Read More »