Mission Healthcare Purchases Healthy Living Network

California-based Mission Healthcare has acquired the multi-state home health provider Healthy Living Network. This will add 5,000 patients to Mission’s daily census as well as 36 new locations.

The transaction furthers Mission’s growth trajectory, which includes the purchase of the Utah, San Francisco-area, and Ventura County, Calif., locations of Silverado Hospice last month for an undisclosed sum. The company also opened an Orange County, Calif., de novo in March. The extension of Mission’s home health footprint has the potential to bolster the company’s hospice and palliative care operations.

“Long term, we plan to continue to connect the capabilities across the combined companies to further the continuum of care,” Mission CEO Paul VerHoeve told Hospice News. “We believe this opportunity will bring meaningful innovation and value to our patients, families and community partners more efficiently. The ability to provide multiple service lines allows us the ability to better manage patients in the home setting.”

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Healthy Living Network operates in six Western states. The network consists of independently owned and operated home health agencies that provide in-home medical, rehabilitative and support services, including Advanced Healthcare Services, Compass at Home, Healthy Living at Home, and Onecare Home Health.

Integration of the two companies will take place during the next several weeks, according to Mission Healthcare.

Mission is a portfolio company of Chicago-based private equity firm The Vistria Group. The provider is currently making a big push into palliative care and will be bringing those services to each of its markets throughout 2021. The palliative care opportunity, which Mission piloted in its Ventura, Calif., operations, is attracting the interest of referral partners, VerHoeve told Hospice News in March.

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While building its palliative care program, Mission is not slowing down on growing its other business lines. The company has several hospice and home health acquisitions in the diligence phase. Historically, de novos have been the prime engine for the company’s growth, but Mission is picking up steam on acquisitions, as evidenced by recent transactions including Healthy Living Network, Silverado Hospice and Alliance Home Health & Hospice Alliance in March.

The company’s private-equity backer, Vistria Group, has a track record on hospice growth. In one of the larger hospice deals of 2020, the PE firm sold St. Croix Hospice to H.I.G. Capital for an undisclosed amount. Vistria also owns Agape Care in South Carolina, which as been active in the M&A market as well.

Mission’s expansion plans remain focused on the western United States, including some markers in which Medicare Advantage plans offer palliative care as a supplemental benefit.

The Healthy Living Network acquisition will allow Mission Healthcare to build density in most of the markets the company serves, according to VerHoeve.

“In joining with Mission, we’re bringing together two businesses with complementary capabilities and opportunities for employees network-wide,” said John Cullen, CEO at Healthy Living Network. “We are also very excited to build upon Mission’s reputation for providing exceptional quality care and service to patients, their family, and referral partners while keeping their employees at the heart of all they do.”

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