Agape Care Purchases Lanier Hospice in Georgia

South Carolina-headquartered Agape Care is steaming forward with its plans for multi-state expansion with the acquisition of Lanier Hospice in Georgia for an undisclosed sum. The deal extends Agape’s footprint to 98 Georgia counties, covering 65% of the state.

Agape is a portfolio company of the private equity firm Ridgemont Equity Partners, which last October acquired the hospice and palliative care provider from its prior PE backer, the Vistria Group. Financial terms of the Ridgemont acquisition were confidential.

Agape Care has been focused on expansion in the Peach State, including but not limited to markets that are contiguous with its South Carolina footprint.

“We look forward to deepening our operational footprint in the markets we’ve acquired in Georgia, while also staying mindful that our goal is to eventually serve every corner of Georgia in a similar manner to our South Carolina operation,” Agape CEO Troy Yarborough told Hospice News. “We feel like this strategy makes us a higher quality provider in the communities we serve as well as a more valuable partner to health systems and payors.”

Agape entered Georgia in June 2021 with a location in the Augusta community, near the South Carolina border. The company followed up that de novo with the acquisitions of Serenity Care, also in June, and Integrity Hospice in July, both in the town of Dublin, Ga. Financial terms of those transactions were not released.

Agape’s 1,090 employees care for more than 2,100 patients across its two-state footprint.

Hospice utilization among Medicare decedents in Georgia reached 51% during 2018, which is in line with that year’s national average of 50.3%, according to the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization.

In addition to the favorable geography, Yarborough cited cultural alignment, strong performance on care quality and a passionate employee base as factors in Agape’s decision to pursue the deal. He indicated that the company will likely pursue additional transactions throughout 2022, with a continued emphasis on the southeastern United States.

“We’ve been laser focused in the Southeast over the last few years and do feel like it gives us the most near-term upside,” Yarborough said. “However, we will maintain a nimble approach to M&A and explore all high quality opportunities that present.”