Houston-based Nutex Health, a micro-hospital network, has acquired Population Health Associates and Managed Care Insurance Consultants, two independent practice associations headquartered in Coral Gables, Fla.
The two organizations provide care to about 4,400 managed care patients through a network of approximately 112 primary care physicians in Florida.
As part of the deal, Victor Behar, founder and CEO of PHA and MCIC, will lead all Florida independent practice association operations for Nutex.
The acquisition brings Nutex's network of managed care patients to about 29,400, creates synergies with South Florida Physicians IPA — Nutex's existing network of primary care physicians in South Florida — and leverages the system's population health management technology platform, Clinigence Health. Nutex said it aims to optimize medical cost ratios and provide improved health outcomes for its patients.
"Nutex expects to open five to six Florida microhospitals in Tampa, Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville by the end of 2025," Chair and CEO Tom Vo, MD, said. "We believe that our integrated healthcare delivery model of microhospitals surrounded by our own affiliated network of physicians, once operational, should translate into higher patient volumes for our hospitals while lowering the [medical cost ratios] for our IPAs, making both the microhospitals and IPAs more profitable."
Across the U.S., Nutex plans to open one to two more microhospitals this year and 14 more by the end of 2025. The physician-led system has 22 microhospitals in eight states and opened four so far this year.