Among the dozens of deals I wrote about for the Latest News section of themiddlemarket.com this week, two deals stood out: Aquiline Capital’s purchase of Avera eCare and Omnicell’s acquisition of FDS Amplicare. If anyone thought the prevalence of telemedicine would end once quarantines ended, this pair of deals suggests otherwise.
Aquiline is a New York and London-based PE firm and Avera eHealth is a telemedicine service provider. Omnicell is a medication management business and FDS is a pharmacy software company.
Telemedicine became a vital industry during the pandemic, allowing patients to receive care without having to assume the risks of an in-person checkup. Now, with restrictions easing, this healthcare branch is still maintaining prominence. Buyers offered a fairly clear explanation as to why.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated major healthcare trends, such as digitizing care delivery and shifting the point of care to a broader range of settings, including innovative hospital-at-home programs,” Omnicell said in a release. The consensus seems to be that the reach afforded by this kind of care makes it worthwhile as a continued investment.
“Avel eCare has developed an innovative solution that provides critical services to underserved communities in the growing telemedicine market,” commented Jeff Greenberg, Aquiline chairman and CEO. “It aligns with our expertise in establishing corporate carve-outs and helping to build tech-enabled service businesses. We look forward to building on Avel eCare’s strengths and working closely with the management team to expand their services and enhance their offerings for clients around the country.”
My prediction is that we will continue to see more telemedicine deals coming down the pipeline, particularly as companies contemplate reinstating travel and gathering guidelines. Do you think this trend will continue? I’d love to hear your take. Email me at [email protected]
– John Melendez
