PHILADELPHIA, July 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Providence Treatment, an outpatient addiction treatment provider with three locations in the Greater Philadelphia area, has acquired Main Line Recovery, an outpatient facility in Haverford, Pennsylvania, offering comprehensive assessment for behavioral health concerns and psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families and groups. Main Line Recovery facility will officially operate under Providence Treatment’s name effective August 1, 2020. Providence Treatment, a state-licensed, Joint Commission accredited treatment center, has provided quality healthcare for professionals and families affected by addiction. Providence Treatment is a recognized leader in the treatment of professionals with substance use disorders and associated mental health challenges. By providing state-of-the-art therapies with highly qualified clinicians and staff, Providence Treatment aids physicians, dentists, pharmacists, attorneys, commercial pilots, and others in overcoming the disease of addiction. Read the full press release here.

(Sarasota Herald-Tribune) – After a nine-month consolidation process, First Step of Sarasota and Coastal Behavioral Healthcare have officially – as of July 1 – begun operations under the First Step name and brand. The core services and programs will still be available to community members in need but organizational leaders assert that the merger will result in stronger, more comprehensive solutions for those with mental health and addiction disorders. The merger enables the organization to further the “no wrong door” approach to social services, whereby any point of entry results in a client receiving direct services or linkage and case coordination, rather than being bounced from one agency to another. First Step of Sarasota is now the largest nonprofit behavioral health care agency in Sarasota County, with a long-term goal of further collaboration with area private and public entities. Full Article

After two quarters, 2020 is proving to be an active year in behavioral health mergers and acquisitions, according to the latest data from M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart. Deal volume among addiction treatment organizations led the segment in Q2 with 11 announcements, for a total of 18 transactions in behavioral health. “Overall, the sector held up pretty well,” said Mertz Taggart Managing Partner Kevin Taggart. “While transactions are down a little from the past six quarters or so, the lull isn’t especially significant. We didn’t see any transactions fall apart directly due to COVID-19, but we suspect some deals were quietly pushed back or halted completely amid the chaos in March and April.” Taggart attributes the fall-off to uncertainty about the effects of coronavirus on the healthcare delivery system at large. However, healthcare M&A ultimately witnessed an uptick of activity in June—likely signaling a resurgence in transactions throughout the remainder of 2020. “There was a period where banks were panicked. Most of that has passed, but there are still some banks that are not lending or have tightened their requirements,” he said. Looking back over the past 12 months, behavioral health has averaged nearly 20 deals per quarter, according to Mertz Taggart data. The steady pace is an indicator of investor confidence in the segment. Taggart said that most buyers are still in a growth phase, building their portfolios to achieve scale. And there is plenty of opportunity to do so. Additionally, he notes that investors are now going to want to examine the fundamental infrastructure for each deal target in greater detail, including any stipulations related to financial relief provided through government support as well as the practical impact the pandemic has had on operations. Increased transparency and legal diligence will be important for them to understand where they might have additional risk. For example, providers that have established reliable COVID-19 testing for residential, inpatient or partial hospitalization programs will fare better than those that don’t. And organizations that have found recent success in providing telehealth options—with significant patient adoption of the technology—will also have some advantages, knowing that payers are supporting the modality with reimbursement dollars. Regardless, Taggart said, behavioral health organizations still need to provide excellent clinical care with a sustainable delivery model. Demand for addiction treatment, mental health, and other services remains high, with the prevalence of a number of conditions increasing by double digits since the start of the pandemic, according to data released in May by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The association also found that although nearly half of Americans delayed medical care because of the pandemic, 75% of those with behavioral health conditions continued receiving services. Providers benefitted from fewer patient “no-shows” when telehealth was made available, resulting in revenue for those services. “Beyond enterprise value, buyers will be taking a closer look at calculations of cash, debt and working capital,” Taggart said. Addiction Treatment Anxiety, social isolation, and economic uncertainty seem to be fueling an increase in overdose deaths, according to White House officials. Their analysis shows an 11.4% year-over-year increase in fatalities for the first four months of 2020. Providers will be looking to scale up services to meet new demand. “Diversity will be key for addiction treatment,” Taggart said. “Being able to reach different markets and provide high-quality services throughout the continuum will be important to create scale.” Q2 was a busy quarter for BayMark Health Services. In May, its AppleGate Recovery brand announced the acquisition of Medication Assisted Recovery Centers, an outpatient opioid treatment program with two locations near New Orleans, Louisiana. The transaction increases AppleGate’s total network in the state to eight facilities. BayMark has owned AppleGate since 2016. In June, BayMark announced the acquisition of Narcotic Addiction Treatment Agency, which provides medication-assisted treatment in the Greater Los Angeles area. Also in June, BayMark purchased Middlesex Recovery with four clinic locations in Massachusetts. It will continue to operate under the Middlesex Recovery brand. In its third transaction in June, BayMark added Norton HealthCare to its New England network, bringing its number of sites in Massachusetts to five and adding its first in New Hampshire location. Veronis Suhler Stevenson and NewSpring Health Capital in April announced the completion of an investment in the BRC Recovery Family of Programs in Austin, Texas. The transaction also included the formation of a new holding company, BRC Healthcare. Founded in 2006, the program offers a full continuum of care for addiction treatment, from detox and intensive outpatient to residential treatment and sober living. Also in April, Yukon Partners announced an investment in Crossroads Treatment Centers, a portfolio company of Revelstoke Capital Partners. Crossroads provides methadone and other outpatient medication-assisted treatment programs. Since the initial Revelstoke investment, which completed in January 2015, Crossroads has grown organically from fewer than 10 locations to more than 90. The Nashville-based Integrative Life Center, a mental health, addiction, and dual-diagnosis treatment service provider, acquired Begin Again Institute of Boulder, Colorado, a center specializing in treating process addictions in adult men. Clearview Capital Fund III, LP, announced in May the acquisition of IHP-Med-Psych-Solutions, Inc., (dba Restorative Health and Recovery), by its portfolio company, Community Medical Services. With this transaction, it gains Restorative Health and Recovery’s office-based opioid treatment program. Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a 10% increase in the rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), compared to two years prior. The rate for ASD is 1 in 34 among boys (or 2.97%) and 1 in 145 among girls (or 0.69%). “This type of data indicates a greater awareness among health professionals, demonstrating that they’re evaluating patients for an appropriate diagnosis of ASD,” says Taggart. “And that informs the outlook on the overall demand for services.” Sequel Youth & Family Services in Dallas, Texas, acquired Pine Cone Therapies, with four locations in Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas. Pine Cone provides services for ASD, attention deficit and other disorders. Founded in 1999, Sequel’s network spans 21 states. The Columbus Organization announced in April the acquisition of Community Support Network, a provider of I/DD support coordination services in Florida. The company serves 140 state and local agencies and school districts in 42 states. In May, Acorn Health, a provider of applied behavior analysis (ABA) for children with ASD, announced the acquisition of Behavior Basics, LLC. Acorn operates in four states, and the transaction expands its presence in Virginia. Bain Capital Double Impact announced a significant investment in Broadstep Behavioral Health, a provider of programs and services for those with I/DD. Broadstep, with 86 centers in five states, aims to use the investment to expand into new markets. Rethink Autism, a global health technology company, in June acquired TheraWe, a website and HIPAA-compliant app for therapy providers and caregivers of children with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Lighthouse Autism Centers, LLC acquired Autism Therapy Services, LLC in the greater-Indianapolis market. According to the company, the transaction makes Lighthouse Autism Center one of the largest ABA providers in the state of Indiana. Mental Health Referrals from primary care will continue to be key resources for mental health treatment providers. Even though primary care has seen a reduction in face-to-face visits recently, the need for specialty care is well established. “Having a solid referral network will be attractive to strategic buyers, especially with the recent trend in formal partnerships among local care organizations that seems to be reinforcing stability for specialty providers,” Taggart said. TPG Capital in April joined existing investors—Summit Partners and Silversmith Capital Partners—in a partnership to support LifeStance Health, which provides outpatient behavioral health services, including telemedicine. LifeStance has 200 care sites, and the deal was assigned a value of $1.2 billion. LifeStance was formed in 2017 and grew to a $1.2 billion dollar valuation faster than any behavioral health services company in history. Kindred Healthcare, LLC has acquired two behavioral health hospitals: WellBridge Greater Dallas and WellBridge Fort Worth. Each hospital has 48 licensed beds and provides additional outpatient services. In June, Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare announced a deal to acquire Clearview Treatment Programs in Venice, California. Odyssey provides a continuum of care for mental health and addiction treatment with 21 locations and outpatient services in eight states.

Overall Transaction Activity Dipped in Q2, but Hospice M&A Remains Strong Post-acute care transaction activity experienced a marked lull during the second quarter of 2020, as was to be expected based not only on a tumultuous health care landscape and the financial marketplace due to the COVID-19 pandemic but a post-Patient-Driven Groupings Model operating landscape. The initial rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide in April combined with the spread of the virus across the southern and western U.S. in June certainly stressed the economy and many health care providers, but the pandemic was not only to blame for the lowest quarterly home health, hospice and home care deal volume since the third quarter of 2017. Home health mergers and acquisitions activity continues to be affected by the January 1 implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), which was just taking hold when the pandemic hit. In all, the home health, hospice and home care industries saw just 18 deals during Q2, down from a combined 26 transactions reported during the same period a year ago, according to the latest M&A update from advisory firm Mertz Taggart. There were 27 total transactions in Q1 2020. As has been the case since for some time now, the hospice segment led dealmaking activity during Q2 2020, with home health trailing. “The industry is facing some major challenges at the moment, but overall, hospice has managed to remain relatively stable compared with home health and home care,” Mertz Taggart Managing Partner Cory Mertz says. “Similar to home health agencies, hospice providers saw a downturn in new admissions following the Trump administration declaring a state of emergency in late March. Unlike home health providers, though, hospice agencies aren’t also adjusting to a major payment overhaul.” Home Health Transactions Slow There were just five home health deals in Q2, down from the previous quarter, which saw 13 transactions. The majority of these transactions were paired with hospice deals, or were highly targeted. The decline in standalone home health deal volume was to be expected, as the industry was already prepped for a cautious approach to dealmaking after the implementation of PDGM on January 1. Still, more data needs to surface in order to get a full picture of PDGM’s impact, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Early data analyses suggest providers have been able to mostly navigate the payment model’s cash flow impact, though cash flow hasn’t fully recovered to December 2019 levels. “There was an automatic gap in valuations between buyers and sellers, and the only way to settle that gap is through data,” Mertz says. “We needed to see the first three to six months of data under PDGM before we could really establish a fair market value. This has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, which skews the data from late March onward.” One of the rare standalone home health deals that took place in the quarter was Lafayette, Louisiana-based LHC Group Inc.’s (Nasdaq: LHCG) joint venture with Orlando Health, a nonprofit health care organization that operates in nine Florida counties. The deal helps LHC Group gain even more of a foothold in a market that has been successful for the company. Other targeted deals included The Pennant Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PNTG) announcing in early July it had purchased two home health agencies with multiple locations throughout southeastern Idaho and northern Utah. Hospice Stays on Top Despite the overall decline in transactions, hospice maintained its stronghold on M&A activity in the post-acute care space during the quarter. With 13 transactions — compared to 14 in Q1 — hospice is one of the few industries that has remained relatively unscathed during the public health emergency. The highlight of all transactions that took place in Q2 was the Amedisys / AseraCare acquisition. Amedisys acquired AseraCare for a cash purchase price of $235 million. AseraCare Hospice cares for a daily census (ADC) of 2,100 patients and employs more than 1,200 hospice professionals in 44 locations across 14 states, generating approximately $117 million in annual revenues. The transaction also included a tax asset for $32 million, bringing the net purchase price down to $203 million, or approximately $97k/ADC. “Hospice doesn’t appear to have missed a beat, as transaction totals are in line with what we’ve seen over the past year,” Mertz says. “Nothing has really changed for hospice. It was an investment target before COVID-19 and continues to thrive despite the public health emergency, remaining relatively easy to finance. This makes hospice even more attractive to the investment community.” Among the hospice transactions to take place in the quarter was Choice Homecare’s purchase of Nextgen Hospice, a Houston, Texas-based provider. Additionally, Dallas, Texas-based Three Oaks Hospice acquired hospice assets from VeraCare Hospice, Hospice Partners of Kansas, and AMED Management. Looking ahead, Mertz Taggart expects to see continued strength in hospice, barring a significant threat of reimbursement changes or payment cuts. Home Care M&A Activity Plummets The second quarter of 2020 saw a sharp dropoff in home care deals, with only three transactions reported, compared to seven deals in Q1. However, the decline in home care transactions isn’t due to a lack of investor interest. “There just isn’t a lot of investible, quality home care agencies on the market, and this is likely impacted by COVID-19 to some extent,” says Mertz. One notable deal that took place during Q2 was home care franchise company Senior Helpers’ purchase of hospice companion provider Lowcountry Companions. “Our acquisition of Lowcountry Companions strategically expands our reach in South Carolina allowing for more growth of in-home and hospice care opportunities,” Amy Petersen-Smith, owner of Senior Helpers of Charleston, said in a statement. The most recent home care deal was announced by Addus HomeCare Corporation (Nasdaq: ADUS) on July 1. The company unveiled its plans to buy Kalispell, Montana-based home care provider A Plus Health Care Inc. Looking Ahead With the impact of payment changes still not totally realized and COVID-19 cases still spreading across the country, the dealmaking landscape will likely continue to be stressed for the foreseeable future. Yet the steady presence of hospice deals bodes well for the overall market outlook despite the uncertainty from the pandemic. Trackbacks/Pingbacks How to Prepare for the Sale of Your Healthcare Agency – Mertz Taggart - […] instance, there were only 18 transactions across home health, hospice, and home care, according to Mertz Taggart statistics. That’s… Home Health, Home Care and Hospice Mergers & Acquisitions Quarterly Report: Q3 2020 – Mertz Taggart - […] M&A activity was slow in the third quarter. Mertz Taggart tracked just two deals, down compared to Q2’s five… Home Health, Home Care and Hospice Mergers & Acquisitions Quarterly Report: Q4 2020 – Mertz Taggart - […] dealmaking started off strong in 2020, with at least 14 transactions in Q1. There was a sharp dropoff in…

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ), a comprehensive outpatient addiction treatment provider with 18 locations throughout Ohio, has acquired Rebound Recovery Centers with locations in Lexington, Paris, and soon to be Nicholasville. The Lexington and Paris centers officially began operating as BrightView facilities on July 7. Originally opened in 2017 in Paris, Rebound Recovery was created to address the opioid epidemic overwhelming Kentucky. After recognizing the significant need, Rebound Recovery expanded to Lexington in 2018 and was in the process of opening a center in Nicholasville, BrightView said in a release. By joining BrightView, Rebound Recovery will be able to expand its services and continue to provide life-saving care to those struggling with addiction, BrightView said in a statement announcing the purchase. Full Article Trackbacks/Pingbacks Behavioral Health M&A Quarterly Report Q3 2020 – Mertz Taggart - […] BrightView, an outpatient addiction treatment provider with 18 locations in Ohio, announced that it has acquired Rebound Recovery Centers…

BayMark Health Services has recently acquired a Narcotic Addiction Treatment Agency (NATA), an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) in Sun Valley, CA.  In business for over 35 years, the company provides medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in the San Fernando Valley area. The company’s focus is to provide comprehensive treatment for opioid addiction professionally without losing sight of the compassion component. NATA specializes in outpatient methadone maintenance and detoxification with combined substance use counseling and behavioral therapies. This evidence-based approach is individualized to meet the needs of each patient. In addition, they also provide addiction and relapse education, coordinated treatment during pregnancy, in-house lab services, and referrals to community resources to assist patients in rebuilding their lives. According to the press release, David K. White, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of BayMark Health Services, said, “While California is a leader in affordable, accessible opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, there is still a need to expand and enhance those services in response to the unabating opioid crisis. BayMark has a significant presence in the State and is pleased to continue growing that footprint to provide services to Californians in need of help.” This is the seventh treatment agency acquired by BayMark in the LA area; they recently acquired two Suboxone Clinics in May of this year. You can read the M&A details M&A details here. Read the original acquisition article here.

Hospice and home health provider Traditions Health, LLC has acquired Tomball, Texas-based Hospice with Grace, expanding the company’s footprint in the Houston region. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Traditions is a portfolio company of family-owned investment firm Dorilton Capital Advisors that operates in Texas, California and Arizona. The hospice provider has been on a growth trajectory during 2019 and into 2020. “I am extremely excited to extend our presence in Texas and serve the community of Tomball and the greater Houston area,” said Bryan Wolfe, president and CEO of Traditions, in a statement. The hospice M&A market continues to stay hot despite a brief dip due to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by demographic tailwinds stemming from the aging population, as well as disruption in the home health space due to implementation of the patient-driven groupings model (PDGM). Uncertainties surrounding PDGM have led some companies that offer both services lines to pivot towards an emphasis on hospice growth. Effective Jan. 1, 2020 Medicare began reimbursing home health care providers through PDGM, which classifies patients into payment categories based on clinical characteristics and other patient information, and shifts the home health payment model to a 30-day payment period rather than the current 60-day episode. “We may have had a few deals get pushed back or killed due to COVID-19, but most of this dip is a predictable result of PDGM,” Cory Mertz of the M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart said in a report. “Buyers want to wait until the dust has settled on PDGM and see how potential targets perform under the new model, which requires at least a few months of financial and patient data.” Read more here…HospiceNews

BATON ROUGE, La., June 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMED), a leading provider of home health, hospice and personal care, announced today that, through one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, it has closed on its acquisition of Homecare Preferred Choice, Inc., doing business as AseraCare Hospice (“AseraCare Hospice” or “AseraCare”), a national hospice care provider with an executive office in Plano, Texas and administrative support center in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Under the terms of the agreement, Amedisys acquired 100 percent of the ownership interests in AseraCare Hospice for a cash purchase price of $235 million, which is inclusive of a $32 million tax asset bringing the net purchase price to $203 million. The Company did not use any of the funds received by the Company from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund that was appropriated by Congress to the Department of Health and Human Services in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act to fund the acquisition. “AseraCare has been on our radar for a long time. We have long admired their strong culture, focus on patients and employees and commitment to always providing high-quality care,” stated Paul Kusserow, Amedisys’ president and chief executive officer. “We are excited about the opportunity, as one company, to bring the gift of hospice to more communities.” Founded in 1994, AseraCare Hospice cares for more than 2,100 patients daily and employs more than 1,200 hospice professionals in 44 locations across 14 states, generating approximately $117 million in annual revenues. This acquisition adds greater scale to Amedisys’ high-quality, nationwide network. Combined, our new hospice operations will include 190 care centers in 35 states, with an average daily census of approximately 14,000 patients and approximately 7,000 hospice employees. “We feel privileged to welcome AseraCare Hospice into the Amedisys family. We share our commitment to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care to patients and their families, and a culture of engagement and support to our colleagues and caregivers,” said Anthony Mollica, Amedisys’ president of hospice. “We are all in the hospice business because we care. For us, this is not our job; caregiving is our calling.” This acquisition is the fourth hospice acquisition for Amedisys since 2019. The Company acquired and integrated Compassionate Care Hospice in February 2019, RoseRock Healthcare in April 2019 and Asana Hospice in January 2020. “AseraCare and Amedisys have always shared an absolute and sacred commitment to help our patients live each day to its fullest, one person, one family and one community at a time,” stated AseraCare President Larry Deans. “I am fully confident that Amedisys will continue and build upon our mission-driven purpose and high-quality care for our patients and families for years to come.” Read more here…GlobeNewswire Click to read Amedisys to Acquire AseraCare Hospice for $235 Million

The COVID-19 emergency has wreaked havoc on the U.S. and global economy, with nearly every industry feeling the impact of virus-related restrictions. Yet despite the stresses resulting from the pandemic, both behavioral health and home-based care M&A remain relatively strong. Behavioral health and home-based care are certainly not immune to the impact of the virus on their operations, but the short- and long-term outlooks for both segments are largely positive with hospice, addiction treatment and mental health sub-sectors poised to do especially well. Demand for these service lines remains steady, even amid the coronavirus. Behavioral Health M&A Interestingly, behavioral health M&A, which includes addiction treatment, autism/IDD and mental health — has not dropped off significantly in light of the pandemic. With 10 deals mid-quarter, the industry is on track to remain in the ballpark of Q2 2019 (27 deals) and Q1 2020 (22 deals). “On the behavioral health side, especially addiction treatment and mental health, this pandemic will unfortunately create more demand as people struggle with their new realities,” says Mertz Taggart Managing Partner Kevin Taggart. While the coronavirus might lead to a modest slow-down in transaction activity in the short-term, behavioral health will likely be one of the quickest industries to bounce back, with addiction treatment and mental health being especially attractive.  Mertz Taggart has seen a renewed interest from buyers since the pandemic, because behavioral health is considered an essential service, and for the most part has weathered the storm much better than other industries. “While interest in addiction treatment deals has cooled in recent years, we’re expecting things to start picking back up as we move through 2020,” Taggart says. “COVID-19 will weed out some providers and will lessen competition in the addiction recovery space, where we’ve recently seen record census for the well-run companies nationwide.” Outpatient services such as Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), traditional mental health and addiction treatment services, and the ability to negotiate in-network contracts with commercial payers will make such providers especially attractive to buyers. Home Health, Home Care, Hospice M&A Meanwhile, home-based care — including Medicare-certified home health, hospice and non-medical home care — has taken more of a hit, with only nine transactions quarter-to-date, compared to 25 deals in Q2 2019 and 27 deals in Q1 2020. That represents a fall-off of about 30-35%. But even before COVID-19, industry experts were predicting a drop in home health M&A in 2020, largely due to the implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) payment system overhaul for home health, which took effect Jan. 1. “We may have had a few deals get pushed back or killed due to COVID-19, but most of this dip is a predictable result of PDGM,” Mertz Taggart’s Cory Mertz says. “Buyers want to wait until the dust has settled on PDGM and see how potential targets perform under the new model, which requires at least a few months of financial and patient data.”  We believe we’ll start to see more home health companies come to market in the second half of 2020. The fall-out from PDGM hasn’t been as bad as many had predicted, with many home health agencies performing better under the new system. While select home health transactions will prevail in the short term, they’ll likely be highly strategic, paired with hospice, or rescue deals. Additionally, despite demand, COVID-19 adds a degree of complexity because home health providers aren’t currently being reimbursed for providing telehealth services, resulting in additional financial strain. Meanwhile, hospice M&A remains hot. Q1 2020 saw more transactions in the space than ever before, continuing a two-year upswing. Again, that isn’t surprising, but rather a strategy many buyers have adopted amid pausing home health transactions. And while hospice has had to endure some business challenges amid the coronavirus, those have been less disruptive than those in home health. COVID-19 Buyer Motivations Strategic buyers are still pursuing M&A opportunities in behavioral health and home-based care, and they’re financially equipped to do so. However, most executive and operations teams are currently consumed with COVID-19, meaning M&A is taking somewhat of a back seat in the short term. Private equity companies are also re-deploying a portion of their dry powder to keep holdings in harder hit industries afloat. Plus, travel for due diligence is difficult right now, and banks — which typically provide new funding for deals — are exercising caution, as they’re writing off significant amounts of debt for bleeding industries. “Banks’ focus right now is on salvaging what they can from those investments, so their ability to lend will change, as will their standards,” Mertz says. “They will mostly likely not be able to be as aggressive as they were in 2019, but for essential healthcare companies we believe the lenders will come back in Q3 or Q4 of 2020.” One piece of good news is that more PE buyers than ever are showing interest in behavioral health and home-based care, and they’re still sitting on record levels of capital. Looking Ahead In the short term, deal activity will likely rise steadily in home-based care and behavioral health, especially in hospice, addiction treatment and mental health. But throughout 2020, many of those deals will be smaller transactions with EBITDA below $5 million. Valuations will likely remain flat for larger deals and down modestly for smaller companies. “Valuations almost definitely will not be going up, but for well-run companies we don’t expect them to go down much, if at all, either,” Taggart said. “For individual companies that are considering a sale, valuations will depend on where you are in your COVID-19 recovery. Those companies that haven’t yet fully recovered, but expect to, may still be able to command ‘as-if’ pricing, but the buyer will likely want the seller to take on some of that recovery risk in the form of an earnout or other structure.” Ultimately, well-run behavioral health and home-based care companies have an optimistic future ahead on the other side of COVID-19. “All said, we expect we’ll continue to inch back toward normalcy,” Mertz said. “We expect deal volume to get back to near-normal levels by mid-2021. It seems like a long time, but companies that are recovering and going to market today likely won’t close until Q4 2020 or Q1 2021.” Trackbacks/Pingbacks – Mertz Taggart - […] is a predictable result of PDGM,” Cory Mertz of the M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart said in a report. “Buyers… Market Forecast: COVID-19’s Long-Term Impact on Home Care – My Blog - […] In the first half of Q2 2020, there were only two home care acquisitions, compared to six total in… Market Forecast: COVID-19’s Long-Term Impact on Home Care » RegentCares - […] In the first half of Q2 2020, there were only two home care acquisitions, compared to six total in… Market Forecast: COVID-19’s Long-Term Impact on Home Care - Medicare & Health Insurance News - […] In the first half of Q2 2020, there were only two home care acquisitions, compared to six total in… Market Forecast: COVID-19’s Long-Term Impact on Home Care | Primary Care at Home - […] In the first half of Q2 2020, there were only two home care acquisitions, compared to six total in… Market Forecast: COVID-19’s Long-Term Impact on Home Care – Safety Health News - […] In the first half of Q2 2020, there were only two home care acquisitions, compared to six total in…

A Charleston, S.C.-based location of national aging services company Senior Helpers has acquired hospice provider Lowcountry Companions, also located in South Carolina. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Senior Helpers, parent company to the Charleston location, is a portfolio company of Altaris Capital, a private equity firm which purchased the senior services company for $125 million in 2016. “Our acquisition of Lowcountry Companions strategically expands our reach in South Carolina allowing for more growth of in-home and hospice care opportunities, said Amy Petersen-Smith, owner of Senior Helpers of Charleston. “In light of recent events, home-based care is on the front lines of health care and we’re passionate about supporting our community. We are proud to provide a valuable resource to local elders and their family by helping to alleviate the stress associated with caregiving and ensure a better quality of life for families through personalized in-home senior care. To read more click here…Hospice News

RALEIGH, N.C. and BOSTON, May 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Broadstep Behavioral Health, a leading provider of programs and services to individuals living with intellectual, developmental or behavioral disabilities, today announced it has received a significant investment from Bain Capital Double Impact. Broadstep, which formerly operated as Phoenix Care Systems, Inc., is partnering with the impact investing business of Bain Capital to further expand its integrated, high-quality care into adjacent services and new markets. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1972 with a mission to deliver care while promoting independence and enhancing quality of life, Broadstep today serves more than 1,300 individuals in 86 facilities across Wisconsin, North Carolina, New Jersey, Illinois and South Carolina. Long waiting lists for home and community-based services have grown more than 20 percent since 2016, leaving approximately 425,000 individuals with unmet needs. Broadstep continues to expand to address these significant gaps by offering a range of support programs, including residential group homes, specialized schools for children, and vocational and day programs that help foster life skills development and realize social and professional potential. Alongside the expansion of services, the company has increased hiring efforts in each of its markets and recently onboarded its largest training class for direct support personnel through its online professional education platform, Broadstep University. “I’m incredibly proud of our leadership team and our dedicated caregivers who have gone above and beyond to continuously improve outcomes and address the needs of the individuals we serve,” said Lynn Mason, President and CEO of Broadstep. “We are excited to partner with Bain Capital Double Impact and to leverage their resources and support as we build new standards of care and expand through acquisitions and into complementary care services. We share the same mission to create better outcomes for a growing, underserved population that today lacks the residential and community-based programs and facilities that can empower personal growth.” About Broadstep Behavioral Health Broadstep Behavioral Health provides a continuum of physical, emotional, and mental support for children and adults with intellectual and development disabilities (I/DD), mental illness, and co-occurring disorders. Founded in 1972, Broadstep has grown to now serve more than 1,300 individuals in 86 facilities across Wisconsin, North Carolina, New Jersey, Illinois and South Carolina. With outcomes rooted in discovering and championing personal definitions of progress, our individuals, families, caregivers, and neighbors are building more and more communities people can call home. Visit https://www.broadstep.com/ to learn more.

Bristol Hospice (AKA Optimal Hospice Care, A Bristol Hospice Company), in coordination with Webster Capital, has added Pro Hospice Agency, Inc. a for-profit hospice provider to its portfolio. No financial terms were disclosed. Salt Lake City, Utah (May 18th, 2020) – Bristol Hospice, a portfolio Company of Webster Capital, is pleased to announce the purchase of Pro Hospice Agency, Inc. in Fresno, CA. Pro Hospice offers care in a variety of settings. Alongside traditional hospice care services, the Pro Hospice Facility (HOFA) is the first of its kind in Fresno. This HOFA is a skilled nursing facility for hospice patients only, with a homelike environment. The mission of Pro Hospice has always been to “honor life and offer unforgettable memories”. Ripsime Danielyan, the owner of Pro Hospice Agency noted that, “We saw a like-mission in Bristol Hospice, to embrace a reverence for life. We have spent the last years putting patient care first and are delighted about what this new relationship with the Bristol Hospice team will mean in terms of being able to offer even more for all our hospice patients. The specialty care programs of Bright Moments and Sweet Dreams which Bristol Hospice have pioneered in Hospice care will be a huge addition to the patient care toolbox. This team of professionals has the capacity to build upon the foundation we created and as our vision statement says ‘Support our staff so they can put our patients and families first, find creative ways/solutions to add quality to end of life, strive for excellence and increase our communities awareness of hospice and its services.’ ” Bristol Hospice CEO, Hyrum Kirton, remarked that, “Pro Hospice Agency, Inc. has been an exceptional Hospice provider to the Fresno community and has had the unique capability of providing inpatient care in its Hospice House. We are excited to combine our compassionate teams and be able to have an inpatient setting to serve our patients and our community. Our commitment to quality and clinical standards is shared and we look forward to bringing the teams together in our mission of embracing a reverence for life.” Bristol Hospice will merge the Fresno staff and operations of Pro Hospice Agency, Inc and its HOFA facility, into the existing Bristol Hospice Fresno program called Optimal Hospice Care, A Bristol Hospice Company. Thus, building upon the existing standard of care and providing an additional array of exceptional support programs to patients, families, and local community alike. About Bristol Hospice Bristol Hospice began operations in 2006 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bristol Hospice has a long history of providing exceptional hospice care across the country. It currently operates 30 locations across 8 states including: CA, OR, HI, UT, CO, TX, GA and FL as Bristol Hospice, Bristol Hospice Utah, Optimal Health Services and Suncrest Hospice of Colorado. The Bristol Programs are designed to promote quality and comprehensive hospice services to patients and families in the communities they serve. The Bristol leadership is committed to the company’s mission in ensuring that all patients and families who are entrusted to our care will be treated with the highest level of compassion, respect, and quality of care. For additional information on Bristol Hospice please visit www.bristolhospice.com