Walgreens-Backed VillageMD Buys 30-Location Physician Group In Connecticut

VillageMD, the developer of physician practices and clinics backed by Walgreens, has acquired a giant medical group in Connecticut with greater than 30 areas throughout the state.

VillageMD Friday mentioned it has acquired Starling Physicians, which operates major care and multi-specialty physician practices, for an undisclosed sum. Starling has greater than 30 areas in Connecticut “providing major care and a variety of specialties together with cardiology, ophthalmology, endocrinology, nephrology, and geriatric care,” the businesses mentioned.

The acquisition comes amid a flurry of acquisitions throughout the U.S. for physician practices, that are being bought at an unprecedented tempo by massive retailers like Walgreens Boots Alliance, CVS Well being, Amazon and Walmart. In the meantime, medical care suppliers owned by well being insurers like UnitedHealth Group’s Optum and Cigna’s Evernorth are additionally within the physician follow bidding conflict.

“Starling shares our imaginative and prescient of being a physician-led mannequin and so they present care in a compassionate and distinctive solution to all of the sufferers they serve,” VillageMD chairman and chief govt officer Tim Barry mentioned. “By integrating major care with specialty care, we’re in a position to optimize entry to high-quality take care of our sufferers. It is a pure extension of our progress within the Northeast, together with our latest acquisition of Summit Well being-CityMD.”

To make sure, VillageMD earlier this yr bought Summit Well being-CityMD for $8.9 billion to develop doctor-staffed clinics throughout the nation. That transaction additionally included investments from Walgreens, which owns greater than 50% of VillageMD, and Cigna’s Evernorth Well being Companies.

Main care supplier Summit Well being merged with CityMD in 2019 to create an organization with greater than 1,400 healthcare suppliers that provide major, specialty and pressing care.

The addition of Starlings practices offers VillageMD a attain into practically 700 markets throughout the U.S.

“By Village Medical, Village Medical at Dwelling, Summit Well being, CityMD and different practices, VillageMD serves thousands and thousands of sufferers all through their lives, wherever and each time they want care,” the corporate mentioned. “Its devoted workforce of greater than 20,000 operates from 680 follow areas in 26 markets.”

In the meantime, Walgreens and VillageMD have opened greater than 200 Village Medical at Walgreens clinics hooked up to drugstores. Walgreens has mentioned it hopes to open a minimum of 600 Village Medical at Walgreens major care practices in additional than 30 U.S. markets by 2025 and 1,000 by 2027, with greater than half of these practices in medically underserved communities.