American CareSource Scores Again…

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil
June 12 - July 13, 2014

Not long after entering the "Urgent Care Game" with its acquisition of CorrectMed of Atlanta, American CareSource is making a pass at another clinic.  They're on the move with an agreement to purchase Bay Walk-in Clinic assets on Florida's panhandle.  Bay Walk-in Clinic is well-established in the Panama City area.  
In reference to the agreement, the American CareSource CEO said that this planned acquisition "...builds momentum for its move into the vibrant Urgent Care industry...”  A move...Dr. Richard W. Turner expects will be a WINNING one!   Read more

Plus 2 for The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc. ended the month of May with two more assisted living facilities under its corporate umbrella.  With operations primarily in the western US, the company now enters California's Central Coast region and complements existing facilities in the greater Salt Lake City-area.

118 Facilities in 11 States 

Last week’s acquisitions continue the company’s expansion of its assisted living base, increasing Ensign’s healthcare facility portfolio to 118 in 11 states.  Ensign group service companies include skilled nursing, rehabilitative care, home health care, hospice care, urgent care in addition to assisted living.

The Ensign subsidiary, Bridgestone Living, Inc. will oversee the transition of the 110-unit Santa Maria Terrace (Santa Maria, CA) and 69-unit Lake Ridge Senior Living (Orem, UT).   

>>Read More about Ensign's California and Utah acquisitions.

A Different Flavor for EHR...DocuTAP

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The latest buzz surounding electronic health record provider, DocuTAP, is the additional venture capital financing for the Sioux Falls company founded in 2000.  The $11.9M injection is earmarked for increased marketing.

What caught my eye is their departure from the “vanilla” EHR varieties.  DocuTAP’s is focusing on one of the fast growing healthcare “flavors du jour” - Urgent Care.  The company appears to know its niche – experiencing significant growth over the last 12 months and consequently, tripling their workforce to support their services. 
"How Sweet!"... for their financial partners, Bluff Point Associates and Bessemer Venture Partners.  Read more

Patients Asked, ZoomCare Answered...

ZoomCare, a company that bridges the gap between ER and primary care physician visits took action based on patient input... adding physical therapy treatments in 2 of its Portland clinics. 

Co-CEO Dr. Dave Sanders recounted that, "ZoomCare customers have been asking us for years to offer a PT service with all the convenience, quality and low cost features they love about ZoomCare everyday care....”.  He added “PT is a great fit for Portland's active, outdoor community."

Founded in 2006, the Portland-based urgent care chain has grown to 18 clinics in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. In addition to same-day scheduling, the clinics give patients a guaranteed visit time, issue no bills, have an on-site laboratory and pharmacy and charge the same price for all visits.

Source:  Portland Business Journal

Introducing...Orthopedic Urgent Care Centers

In the hope of increasing immediate care and decreasing health care costs, Florida-based Dr. Alejandro Badia developed and launched OrthoNow, a franchised orthopedic care center.  Centers will address emergency orthopedic needs and send injured patients to an adjacent ambulatory surgery center for treatment.  

Frustrated by a system resulting in "delays in referrals, incorrect dates and wasted tests", Dr. Badia sought a more efficient approach to orthopedic health care delivery. Dr. Badia, CEO of OrthoNow, envisions secure data sharing across the network to establish benchmarks, measure performance and identify paths for improvement.  Additionally, aggregated clinic data could prove beneficial in reviewing critical business aspects.  >>Read more

Cloud-based Service Provider Lands at MedExpress

MedExpress Urgent Care recently selected Athenahealth for its cloud-based medical billing capabilities and live and automated patient communications service. 

Athenahealth's cloud technology offers a scalable platform...one that will grow with MedExpress’ expansion - enhancing the urgent care provider’s operational productivity as well as their patient’s experience.  According to Kevin Ruffe, MedExpress CIO "By streamlining processes based on the needs of our patients, we are able to facilitate an efficient information flow that allows our health care professionals to focus on each and every patient who walks through our doors."  >>Read more