VitalCaring Group has acquired the home health, hospice and palliative care business from Traditions Health.
Three other providers acquired other hospice and palliative care assets from Traditions: The Care Team, LifeCare Home Health Family and Mission Healthcare.
The partnership, announced Wednesday, adds five new states to VitalCaring's footprint.
“We welcome members of the Traditions Health team and are excited to expand our ability to serve more patients and families across the United States,” April Anthony, CEO of VitalCaring Group, said in a statement. “We look forward to supporting the communities these places have long cherished and bringing true compassion to even more people.”
Based in Franklin, Tennessee, Traditions provides hospice, home health and palliative care, as well as consulting services in 18 states.
Dallas-based VitalCaring provides home health and hospice services in the Southeast. The provider was backed by Anthony himself, Vistoria Group and Nautique Partners, and had operations in six Southeastern states prior to the acquisition.
According to VitalCaring's site, the deal will add 35 home health agencies, 37 hospice facilities and three palliative care facilities to the company's operations. Most of the acquired home health assets are located in Oklahoma, with others located in Texas, Kansas and Missouri.
VitalCaring said the deal adds resources, clinical expertise and a mission-driven approach to the acquired Traditions locations. A page on the company's website said the provider stands ready to welcome Traditions team members, patients and referral partners.
“As we move forward together, our focus remains the same: providing genuine care to all the patients and families who rely on us,” Anthony said. “We are grateful to the dedicated Tradition team members who are joining our family and look forward to working together to make an impact in the communities we serve.”
VitalCaring was previously scheduled to acquire more than 100 home health and hospice locations sold as part of UnitedHealth Group's (NYSE: UNH) acquisition of Amedisys. The deal was halted in January after a federal court ordered Vital Caring to allocate a significant portion of its future profits to Encompass Health and EnHavit.
In 2023, Anthony, the former CEO and founder of what became Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE: EHC)'s home health division, told Home Healthcare News that he plans to grow the company through new additions, acquisitions and “true” organic growth.
The deal comes at the end of a year of regulatory uncertainty that caused delays in home health transactions. However, Mertz Taggart's Q3 Home Care Transactions Report says there is still “substantial demand for high-quality assets.”
