Emergency Medicine Physicians
An emergency medicine group providing physician staffing services to hospital emergency departments.
PE-OWNED
Acquired by Sun Capital Partners2017-12-01
What Made It Great
Emergency physician staffing with focus on rural and community hospitals
What PE Will Likely Do
Emergency physician staffing will be reduced, with more RNs replaced by LPNs and aides to cut labor costs
The company will likely sell the real estate of the hospitals it staffs and lease it back, extracting equity for investors
Aggressive billing practices will emerge, with more procedures and diagnoses coded at higher reimbursement levels
Certain essential but unprofitable services like rural emergency care or psychiatric emergency care will be cut or reduced
Patients will experience longer wait times, shorter appointment times, and a noticeable decline in the quality of emergency care
Expected Timeline
“0 to 6 months months”
Cosmetic changes, 'optimization' announcements, and leadership shuffles
“6 to 12 months months”
Staffing cuts begin under the guise of 'efficiency' programs, and service reviews are conducted
“12 to 24 months months”
Service quality noticeably declines, with longer wait times and reduced availability of specialized emergency services
“24 to 36 months months”
Major issues emerge, such as the closure of emergency departments in rural and community hospitals
“36+ months months”
Potential bankruptcy, widespread hospital closures, or a fire sale to another operator
Similar Cases
Other companies that followed a similar path after PE acquisition
What You Can Do
Actions
Be aware of potential changes in the quality of emergency medical care, such as longer wait times, shorter appointments, and reduced availability of specialized services
If you or a loved one requires emergency care, consider alternative providers or hospitals that may not be affected by these changes
Stay informed about any public reports or news regarding the performance and quality of Emergency Medicine Physicians and the hospitals it staffs
Alternatives
Community-focused healthcare
Integrated managed care consortium