A physician group providing hospitalist and intensivist services to hospitals nationwide.
Acquired by Ares Management2018-10-01
Specialized inpatient physician services improving hospital efficiency
Reduced staffing levels, with fewer experienced physicians and more reliance on nurse practitioners or physician assistants to handle patient volume
Increased emphasis on billing and coding practices to maximize reimbursements, even if it means upcoding or overcoding procedures
Consolidation or elimination of less profitable service lines, such as critical care or specialty hospital units, leading to reduced access to these services for patients
Deterioration in the quality of care and increased wait times as physicians are forced to see more patients per day to meet productivity targets
Announcement of 'optimization' plans, leadership changes, and promises of increased efficiency
Staffing reductions begin, with experienced physicians replaced by less expensive providers
Patients start to notice longer wait times, shorter appointment durations, and reduced access to specialized services
Widespread quality issues emerge, including increased medical errors, patient dissatisfaction, and potential patient harm due to service line cuts
Potential bankruptcy, hospital closures, or sale to another operator, resulting in further disruption and uncertainty for patients
Other companies that followed a similar path after PE acquisition
Monitor for changes in the availability and quality of specialized inpatient services, such as critical care, that may be impacted by the PE acquisition
Be aware of potential billing changes and upcoding practices that could lead to higher out-of-pocket costs for patients
Advocate for the preservation of essential services, such as maternity and psychiatric care, that may be at risk of being cut
Community-focused healthcare
Integrated managed care consortium