Chicago partner Scott Downing and associate Christopher DeGrande, members of McGuireWoods’ healthcare practice, examined the ongoing trend of physician practice consolidation in a July 25 article for Becker’s Hospital Review.
Their piece, “2017 Physician Practice Consolidation: A Mid-Year Review,” provided a snapshot of notable deals that occurred in the industry during the first half of the year. These include transactions involving large medical companies and hospital and health systems, as well as deals in specific practice areas such as dermatology, optometry and ophthalmology, cardiology and radiology.
The authors noted that the number of medical group mergers and acquisitions surged to 48 in the first quarter of 2017, a 78 percent jump from the fourth quarter of 2016. The industry’s fragmented nature and the challenges facing small practices are driving the consolidation movement, they wrote.