Lifesprk Partners with North Memorial; LHC Group Expands LifePoint Joint Venture

Lifesprk, North Memorial Health unveil LEADS

Lifesprk and North Memorial Health have partnered to make an alternative delivery system for whole person senior services. The idea behind the new system is to take into account a senior’s entire health care journey in order to more adequately serve his or her needs.

The two Minneapolis-based organizations have teamed up in order to harness the power of Lifesprk’s whole-person senior services and North Memorial Health’s multi-hospital network to better serve patients with “community-based initiatives.”

“Health care is sick, and the system is broken, especially for the senior population who are substantially under- and over-served,” Lifesprk CEO Joel Theisen said in a press release. “We have to create systems that forge pathways for people to live better with a focus on wellness, not sickness.”

The partners hope to increase interoperability and create an alternative to the “existing silos of delivery.” The delivery system has been dubbed “LEADS,” or Life Experience Alternative Delivery System.

“Proven outcomes, technology, and how our partnership has evolved over the years were motivating factors when it came to partnering with Lifesprk to lead these efforts,” North Memorial Health CEO Dr. J. Kevin Croston said.

LHC Group and LifePoint Health expand JV

LHC Group Inc. (Nasdaq: LHCG) and LifePoint Health continue to build upon their joint venture (JV), this time adding both a home health provider and a hospice provider in Bryant, Arkansas. The two new locations are associated with LifePoint’s Saline Memorial Hospital.

The Lafayette, Louisiana-based LHC Group and Brentwood, Tennessee-based LifePoint Health formed their partnership in 2017, and have since added 49 home health and hospice locations in 10 different states. The joint venture is governed by a board that has equal representation from both companies.

LHC Group said in a release that it expects approximately $5.4 million in annualized revenue from this transaction. The agreement will be finalized on Jan. 1, 2020. It also expects approximately $9 million in annualized revenue from the venture’s recently finalized additions of CMH Home Health Care in Wilmington, Ohio, and Casa De La Paz Hospice in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

The Arkansas home health and hospice providers will operate under the names Saline Memorial Home Health and Saline Memorial Hospice.

Gainesville Hospital District board votes to bow out of home health

Gainesville Hospital District Board members voted to sell North Texas Medical Center’s home health operations, which will be sold for $500,000, by way of the new firm managing it for 20 months at $25,000 per month.

If after the 20-month period the firm decides it does not want to take over the home health agency, it will not be paid for its efforts. Plano, Texas-based Community Hospital Corporation (CHC) and the Gainesville Hospital District have an agreement that leases NTMC to Gainesville Community Hospital and tasks them with operating it.

“The home health space is highly regulated and it’s highly complex,” CHC CEO Jim Kendrick told the Gainesville Daily Register. “Reimbursement for it is more and more challenging, with significant changes in this year’s laws as well. So what we did was we looked at what we could do to preserve that for the community, but also not have it be there as a risk for us as an operating entity.”

AdaptHealth acquires medical equipment business

AdaptHealth Corp. (Nasdaq: AHCO) announced that it has agreed to acquire Advanced Home Care’s (AHC) medical equipment business. The companies expect finalization of the acquisition to take place in the first quarter of 2020.

The High Point, North Carolina-based AHC will be integrated into AdaptHealth, which will, in turn, expand its footprint in the southeast, where AHC has 31 existing locations in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia.

“The Southeast represents an important market for AdaptHealth, and we are excited to expand our presence through our acquisition of Advanced Home Care’s HME business,” AdaptHealth President and COO Josh Parnes said in a statement.

AdaptHealth said it expects to sign a long-term lease of AHC’s headquarters in High Point and also for leaders within the organization to join AdaptHealth’s team.

“Advanced Home Care has been fortunate to serve our communities since 1983,” AHC CEO Joel Mills said. “In AdaptHealth, we believe we have found a forward-thinking team that will allow us to continue to provide patients and our healthcare system partners with quality products, expanded offerings, and the highest degree of service. We couldn’t be more excited to join AdaptHealth.”