Business Briefs: Ensign Acquisition, LHC Group

Ensign Group Acquires Nevada Hospice Operations

The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG), the parent company of the Ensign group of skilled nursing, rehabilitative care services, home health care, hospice care and assisted living companies, has acquired a hospice provider serving Southern Nevada through a subsidiary of its home health and hospice portfolio, Cornerstone Healthcare, Inc. The subsidiary acquired Comfort Hospice Care, which serves Las Vegas, Pahrump and surrounding communities in Southern Nevada.

With the acquisition, Cornerstone subsidiaries now operate 22 hospice operations, 18 home health operations and three home care operations in 10 western states. Cornerstone is actively seeking additional opportunities to acquire both well-performing and struggling home heath, hospice and home care operations across the country.

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“Comfort Hospice Care is a strategic addition to Cornerstone’s hospice operations,” Ensign President and CEO Christopher Christensen said in a statement. “It adds to our existing assisted living operations in Las Vegas, and expands our footprint outside of the Las Vegas metro area to provide care in rural areas across Southern Nevada.”

LHC Group and CHRISTUS Health Finalize Joint Venture Agreement

LHC Group, a Lafayette, Louisiana-based national provider of post-acute health care services, and Christus Health, an Irving, Texas-based Catholic nonprofit health system, finalized a joint venture partnership to expand home health, hospice and long-term acute care services in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Georgia, according to a press release from LHC Group.

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The agreement includes LHC Group taking majority ownership of Christus Health’s home care and hospice services, as well as its long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) facilities. LHC will also take over management of these properties and services, though they will continue to operate under their existing names.

The joint venture will impact 21 services locations of Christus Health, including seven home health agencies, five hospice programs, two community-based home care services, one inpatient hospice unit, and six LTACHs.

Jordan Health Services Acquires Two Oklahoma Home Health Care Providers 

Jordan Health Services, a Dallas-based provider of home health and hospice services, acquired two Oklahoma home health care providers, in an effort to expand Jordan’s footprint in the state.

The two acquired companies are Oklahoma Medicaid Operations from Kindred At Home, a home health care provider that serves nearly 3,500 patients in Oklahoma, and Ross Health Care, an Oklahoma-based home health, hospice and private duty provider, comprised of Alliance Health, Inc., Ross Home Health, and Ross Hospice. Ross provides care to more than 900 patients in Oklahoma.

The terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

Jordan provides home health services in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.

CareCentrix Partners with Medullan

CareCentrix, a home health management solutions provider, has entered into a strategic partnership with Medullan, a digital health firm that designs outcomes-driven solutions for the health care industry. The alliance aims to develop care tools that connect providers, patients and payers through mobile technology for patients outside the hospital setting.

The partnership aligns Medullan’s care experience platform, VARA, with CareCentrix’s HomeBridge technology.

CareCentrix also entered in an alliance with Owned Outcomes, a software company that provides analytical help to health care providers as they enter payment arrangements that include financial and performance accountability for patient care. The alliance aims to deliver predictive, actionable insights to post-acute care networks using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Home Health United Changes Name

Home Health United, a home health agency based in Madison, Wisconsin, has changed its name to SSM Health at Home, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

The agency has been owned by SSM Health St. Mary’s in Hospital in Madison, as well as SSM Health St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, Sauk Prairie Healthcare and Reedsburg Area Medical Center, the journal reported. Home Health United has five medical equipment stores and 11 offices in 22 counties.

Written by Amy Baxter

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