A number of home-based care organizations made moves to expand via M&A and de novo.

Lucet inks agreement to purchase Emcara Health

Lucet, a behavioral health company, has entered an agreement to acquire Emcara Health.

“Lucet’s long-term strategy is to continuously evolve, identifying product and service gaps to address our members’ health needs,” Shana Hoffman, president and CEO of Lucet, said in a statement. “With the acquisition of Emcara Health, we will be able to offer even more comprehensive ways to deliver care, assess behavioral health needs and quickly connect individuals to the high-quality healthcare resources they require. With Emcara’s well-established operations in markets where Lucet also has overlapping member populations, we are empowered to provide dual services for our members’ co-morbid chronic medical and behavioral health conditions in the future.”

Lucet is a behavioral health company that provides tech-enabled services to support payers, providers and members.

On its end, Emcara Health is a value-based national medical group. One of Emcara Health’s main areas of focus is home-based advanced primary care for complex and high-risk populations. The company was launched in 2021 by GuideWell subsidiary PopHealthCare.

“As a value-based national medical group, Emcara Health has been focused on a singular mission of reimagining how healthcare is delivered,” Jeff Goddard, executive vice president and CFO of GuideWell, said in the statement. “Through this acquisition, their proven model for in-home care solutions will be leveraged in combination with Lucet’s behavioral health expertise, bringing to market new integrated care models that will have a substantial clinical impact on how members’ complex, chronic and behavioral health conditions are successfully managed together in the future.”

The Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio has new owners

h/care, a health care management organization, has acquired The Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio (VNA of Ohio). The acquisition was effective as of May 1.

“This partnership ensures that our patients continue to receive the trusted, compassionate care they’ve always known,” Renee Coughlin, managing director of VNA of Ohio, said in a statement. “With h/care’s resources and vision, we’re better prepared to meet the growing and evolving needs of the communities we serve.”

Founded in 1902 in Cleveland, VNA of Ohio is a provider of home health, hospice, wound management and more.

The organizations identified several top priorities, including expanding access to care across Northeast Ohio, empowering local leadership and increasing VNA’s continuum of care with a focus on home health.

“We are humbled to steward the next generation of care for VNA of Ohio,” Ryan Haller, CEO and founding principal of h/care, said in the statement. “This is not just a transaction—it’s a commitment to honoring legacy while advancing the standard of care through technology, clinical excellence, and deep community roots throughout the Buckeye State.”

Owens & Minor and Rotech Healthcare terminate acquisition

Owens & Minor, Inc. (NYSE: OMI) have mutually agreed with Rotech Healthcare Holdings Inc. to pull the plug on a previously announced acquisition.

As part of the merger agreement, Owens & Minor has paid $80 million to Rotech Healthcare.

“For many months, our teammates, along with the Rotech team, have worked tirelessly in cooperation with the Federal Trade Commission to close this transaction, and while we believe there would have been ample benefits to patients, payers and providers by adding Rotech to our Patient Direct business, the path to obtain regulatory clearance for this merger proved unviable in terms of time, expense and opportunity,” Edward A. Pesicka, president and CEO of Owens & Minor, said in a statement.

Owens & Minor is a global health care solutions company that provides products and services that support care from the hospital to the home.

Meanwhile, Rotech is a provider of ventilators, oxygen, sleep apnea treatment, wound care solutions, diabetes self-management solutions and home medical equipment.

Comfort Keepers views Boston as a key market

Comfort Keepers has pinned down Boston as a key market for franchise development in 2025. The company is looking to expand into up to eight new territories, according to reports from 1851franchise.com.

“First and foremost, from a Comfort Keepers standpoint, the Boston market is underpenetrated,” Scott Oaks, vice president of franchise development at Comfort Keepers, told 1851franchise.com. “We have a lot of open and available territories in and around the area, stretching from Quincy up to Salem, and as far inland as Watertown. The whole area around Boston is open and available as well.”

Irvine, California-based Comfort Keepers is one of the largest personal home care providers in the U.S. The company has 600 locations across the U.S.

In 2023, The Halifax Group purchased the worldwide home care division of Sodexo. This deal included Comfort Keepers.

Comfort Keepers already has a presence in Lexington, Wakefield and Norwell, but Boston would be a new endeavor for the company.

“On average, when you look at the amount of seniors in the greater Boston area, over 13% of the population is over 65,” Oaks said. “That is the area where people start thinking about and looking into home care.”

AmeriBest Home Care opens new location

AmeriBest Home Care has set up shop in a new Pittsburgh location.

Strategically, the move to Pittsburgh makes sense. Roughly, 1 in 5 residents is over the age of 65, according to the latest U.S. Census data.

“Families here aren’t looking for flashy solutions,” Michael Hueitt, Jr., Pittsburgh branch director, said in a statement. “They just want someone reliable to help mom get to her appointment or ensure dad eats a healthy meal. That’s what we’re here to do – to show up, to care, and to make life at home safer and more comfortable.”

Philadelphia-based AmeriBest is a home agency that provides services that include long-term care, skilled nursing, medical social work, physical and occupational therapy, as well as non-medical personal care.