Ensign Expands Hospice, Home Care Footprint Through New Acquisitions

The Ensign Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENSG) is making moves in the hospice and home care space through two recent acquisitions in Texas and Arizona, the company announced Monday. 

The Ensign Group is the parent company of the Ensign group of skilled nursing, rehabilitative care services, home health, home care, hospice care, assisted living and urgent care companies.

The company acquired Hospice of the South Plains located in Lubbock, Texas, and Alarys Home Health, a Medicare and Medicaid certified home health agency located in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

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The hospice operation is located in the same town as the company’s recent acquisition of the Mildred and Shirley L. Garrison Geriatric Education and Care Center, a 103-bed skilled nursing facility. 

“We continue to view complementing our skilled nursing and assisted living operations across Texas with home health and hospice operations as a strategic priority, and Hospice of the South Plains fits neatly within that plan for growth,” said Christopher Christensen, Ensign’s president and CEO, in a statement.

The hospice  and home health agencies will be held by Cornerstone Healthcare, Inc., Ensign’s home health and hospice-based portfolio subsidiary. The home health agency will be rebranded as “Emblem Home Health.”

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Cornerstone President and CEO Daniel Walker expects both operations to be operationally accretive to earnings in 2015.  

Both purchases bring Ensign’s portfolio to 140 facilities, 11 hospice agencies, 13 home health agencies, two home care businesses and 15 urgent care clinics across 12 states. 

Written by Cassandra Dowell

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