New Jersey Urgent Care Network Adds Location

AtlantiCare Urgent Care, part of Geisinger Health, will add another location to its network with the acquisition of Cape Urgent Care in Cape May, NJ.  The acquisition is expected to close June 1.  AtlantiCare clinics are located primarily in the central and southern part of the state.  

Investor Feels Good about Urgent Care

CityMD, the New York metro area urgent care provider, will soon go under the Warburg Pincus banner.  The private equity firm is planning to acquire a majority stake in the healthcare services provider.

Warburg's interest is understandable.  CityMD, founded by Dr. Richard Park in 2010, has experienced impressive growth.  Dr. Park grew the operation from a single clinic to 68 locations serving more than 1 million patients annually (through a merger and start-ups). CityMD has a heavy presence in the New York metro area - the City, Long Island, northern New Jersey.  Also, through a partnership with CHI Franciscan Health, CityMD operates clinics in Washington state.

With today's preference for convenience and as high-deductible health plan become more commonplace, patients will likely seek out urgent care centers to address certain health needs.  Many clinics have already expanded their service menu to appeal to patients. In fact, Becker's Hospital Review reports that "adults under age 30 are more likely to visit an urgent care center than a primary care physician."  Increased use of urgent care centers bodes well for the growth of the sector.

USPI Fills In FL with CareSpot UC Buy

United Surgical Partners International (USPI), a joint venture between Tenet Healthcare and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, boosted its presence in the urgent sector in early 2016.  USPI acquired 35 of CareSpot Express Healthcare's total urgent care locations (primarily Florida with several in Tennessee).  USPI urgent care ownership interests increased to 81 locations.

The USPI CareSpot division will combine with the already Tenet-owned MedPost Urgent Care clinics (strong in the Southwest, Southeast, Texas with various MW and NE locations).  However, each urgent care brand will maintain its own identity.  >>Read more

FastMed Steps into Texas

FASTMED's partnership last Spring with private equity firm ABRY was expected to spur the urgent care operator's growth with an influx of capital and management talent.  Hats off to FastMed for its initial foray into the Lone Star State with the December acquisition of Texas Urgent Care.  As one of the fastest growing urgent care organizations, FastMed added Texas Urgent Care's 14 clinic locations in the Austin, San Antonio, Tomball and Waco metropolitan areas.  

Former Texas Urgent Care owner, Dr. Ashish Singhal noted a shared commitment to high quality patient care and is "…excited to develop the preeminent urgent care platform across Texas." 
>>Read more

Related:
FastMed Partners with ABRY - Expansion Expected

HCA Acquires NV Urgent Care Centers

HCA announced the acquisition of Urgent Care Extra's Las Vegas operations this week.  The 14 Urgent Care Extra urgent care centers combine with HCA Sunrise Health System's local facilities. The acquisition supports HCA's overall strategy of improving patient access to healthcare in markets served. 

Urgent Care Extra, founded in Phoenix in 2004, continues it's Arizona operations with significant coverage of the Phoenix market and four Tucson locations.  >>Read more

PhysicianOne Adds One More

Connecticut-based PhysicianOne Urgent Care continues its expansion with the acquisition of a former ASAP Urgent Care location in Hamden, CT.  More clinics, expected by year-end, will bring the PhysicianOne total to 12.  >>Read more

American CareSource to Add NC UC Clinics

The Atlanta-based urgent care chain, American CareSource, is strengthening its east coast presence.  With the upcoming acquisition of Medac Health Services, P.A., American CareSource will add four Wilmington, NC locations - increasing its total to 14 urgent care centers.  Currently, the chain operates clinics in suburban Washington, D.C., Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

American CareSource also offers a range or primary care and specialty health services, including occupational medicine and veterans care.

>>Read more

NextCare Even Deeper in AZ

NextCare Urgent Care extended its reach in the Grand Canyon State with three recent acquisitions.  As one of the nation's largest urgent care providers, it's 35 Arizona locations offers healthcare services to over 90% of state's population.  These acquisitions continue the company's active expansion over the last 12 months…+23 clinics across the U.S.  >>Read more

FastMed Partners with ABRY - Expansion Expected

Private equity firm, ABRY, is set to acquire FastMed, the second largest independent urgent care organization in the U.S.  The acquisition will include FastMed's 87 clinics and the corporate offices in North Carolina and Arizona.  Currently, FastMed employs more than 1,100 - which include physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.  FastMed CEO, Kevin Blank noted:

"The additional capital and management talent that ABRY provides will allow us to significantly expand our geographic footprint and grow organically as well as through targeted acquisitions…."

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter, 2015.  >>Read more

One More in NC for U.S. HealthWorks

U.S. HealthWorks strengthens its strong urgent care network and North Carolina presence with the acquisition of IndustriCare.  Dr. Fabienne Ransom currently directs the operation of the Charlotte occupational medical center which was established over 17 years ago.  >>Read more

The U.S. HealthWorks activity continues the 2014 interest in urgent care.  Consider last month's acquisition of two Georgia clinics by American Caresource.  The clinic's previous owner, CorrectMed, LLC, now operates as a subsidiary.   In April, Rite Aid acquired Houston-based RediClinic, a retail clinic operator.  Rite Aid's support will accelerate RediClinic's expansion plans.

See Related Articles on U.S. HealthWorks

American CareSource Enters Urgent Care

In 2013, Urgent Care industry revenue topped $14B.  By 2018, revenue is projected to increase to approximately $19B.  Not surprising then...that American CareSource, a network of ancillary healthcare providers, is moving into the urgent care market space.  Their foray begins with the acquisition of two urgent care clinics in the Atlanta metro area.  The Locust Grove and Decatur clinics were previously owned by CorrectMed, LLC.  >>Read more

With the completed acquisition, Dr. Richard Turner, American CareSource CEO, affirms,  

"…we have taken our first important step in entering the urgent care market.  The two centers will be the centerpiece of our strategy to become the high-quality, patient-centric provider of conveniently available affordable urgent care…"

Related:  More Regular Care = Urgent Care Growth

Rite Aid Acquires RediClinic

Step aside CVS and Walgreens…Rite Aid will also 
offer consumers a convenient alternative to a long doctor's office wait.   The recent acquisition of RediClinic, a pioneer in the retail clinic industry, bolsters Rite Aid's health and wellness strategy.  RediClinic services include basic physical exams, screenings, immunizations.

The new parent will support Houston-based RediClinic's expansion in its home state of Texas and into select Rite Aid markets.  RediClinic opened in 2005 and currently operates 30 locations.  Rite Aid operates 4600 stores in 31 states.  >>Read more

U.S. HealthWorks Adds Florida Location

U.S. HealthWorks added another Florida urgent care center to its network with the recent acquisition of Urgent Medical Care in Pompano Beach.  The deal increases their Sunshine State sites to 14 and 203 company-wide.

U.S. HealthWorks clinics offer occupational health care and urgent care services, preventive care, pre-employment and post-offer exams and screening, and return-to-work rehabilitative care.  U.S. HealthWorks operates as a Calfornia-based subsidiary of Dignity Health - who acquired them in August, 2012.  >>Read more

American Family Care Takes Big Step Up

Dr. Bruce Irwin, founder of one of the oldest operators of family care/urgent care clinics announced the acquisition of Doctors Express, the largest US franchisor of urgent care clinics.  The completed transaction (expected in April) will move American Family Care (AFC) to the second largest privately held operator of urgent care centers.  By year end, the merged organization will have a presence in 26 states with more than 140 facilities.  

The Doctors Express name will be retained and the business continue under the current franchise model.   AFC will centralize backroom operations in Birmingham, AL.  Doctors Express is currently headquartered in Baltimore.  >>Read more

Funding Continues for Walk-in Clinics

Private equity firms continue funding of healthcare’s urgent care sector.  This ongoing interest is not surprising given 20% clinic growth in the last 4 years*.  MedExpress, an industry leader, currently with over 100 locations, was one of the first to benefit from PE interest when it had only 6 offices.  More recently, sector funding has come from LLR Partners for Physicians Immediate Care and FFL Partners for WellStreet.

Health insurers and hospital systems also recognize the value of urgent care ownership.  However, their acquisition motivation may be slightly different vis a vis private equity firms.  Humana, owner of 330-clinic Concentra, and other insurers appreciate the cost containment potential with urgent care clinics (e.g.:  Per visit: 30-40% less than doctor visit; 80% less than ER).  Hospitals now own 27% of urgent care centers.  While not expected to be a large revenue stream, hospital-owned clinics offer a great source of patient referrals.  >>Read more

*Urgent Care Association of America

NextCare - Deeper in the Heart of Texas

Waco’s Central Texas Urgent Care is the latest acquisition by Mesa, AZ-based urgent care chain, NextCare – now operating 71 clinics in the East, West and Midwest. 

While staff at the two newly-acquired locations will remain the same, a new and different service will soon be available. WAHOO (Wait at Home or Office) is NextCare’s wait-at-home check-in service where patients can wait to be contacted for their exam.  

The Waco acquisition follows an October buying spree that added over 10 clinics, including one in Houston, to NextCare’s clinic total.  >>Read more 

Urgent Care Update...

-Alliance Urgent Care to be Acquired

-Concentra Expands Footprint in KY

Capital Group Holdings announced that it will acquire privately owned Alliance Urgent Care, an organization operating six clinics in the greater Phoenix, AZ area.  Alliance will be renamed OneHealth Urgent Care to be consistent with the branding of Capital Group's telehealth subsidiary, OneHealthPass ™ (OHP).  OHP is designed to become an industry standard telehealth platform for the management and administration of patient-centric telemedicine programs.  Dr. Michael Blumhoff, Alliance CEO, will continue as CEO of the OHP Urgent Care group once the deal is finalized. -->  >>Read more

Urgent Treatment Clinics (UTC) with seven medical centers in the Lexington, KY area is Concentra's latest acquisition.  The Urgent Treatment Clinic name will be preserved according to Concentra, the national provider of urgent care services and subsidiary of Humana, Inc.  Former UTC owners, Dr. Fadi Bacha and Dr. Larry Burns, have been retained by Concentra and will continue providing patient care to residents of Lexington and its surrounding communities.  >>Read more