UF Health Transaction Announcement
Ponder & Co. (“Ponder”) is pleased to announce that Central Florida Health (“CFH”) has joined the University of Florida Health (“UF Health”), building on a strategic affiliation that has connected local residents to leading-edge stroke care and other health care services for several years. The move will strengthen and improve the availability of high-quality, efficient, affordable health care for Lake, Sumter and Marion counties through the 660-bed regional system, and will preserve and enhance the hospitals’ focus on other important missions of research, medical education and charity care. Over time, long-term capital plans for facility improvements and new equipment and technologies will be considered, including construction of a new general acute care hospital in association with The Villages®.
About Central Florida Health
CFH operates Leesburg Regional Medical Center, which includes 353 licensed acute care and psychiatric beds, and The Villages® Regional Hospital, which includes 307 licensed acute care and inpatient rehab acute care beds, for a total of 660 licensed beds. Other components of CFH include the Leesburg Regional Medical Center Foundation, Inc., The Villages® Regional Hospital Auxiliary, Inc., and related outpatient and physician operations.
About UF Health
With main campuses in Gainesville and Jacksonville, UF Health includes six health colleges, nine research institutes and centers, eight hospitals, including two teaching hospitals, five specialty hospitals and an acute care hospital and a host of physician medical practices and outpatient services throughout North Central and Northeast Florida. For more information about UF Health, please visit www.ufhealth.org
Ponder’s Role
CFH and UF Health jointly engaged Ponder to act as its financial advisor in connection with performing a strategic options assessment and advising on a potential transaction. As part of the strategic assessment, Ponder assisted stakeholders from both organizations in establishing goals and objectives of each organization for a potential partnership transaction and advised on the form and structure of the most appropriate partnership model. Upon completion of Ponder’s assessment, the respective boards and management teams supported moving forward with pursuing a more integrated alignment. Ponder’s M&A Group facilitated the transaction process guiding the negotiation of key business terms and assisted throughout diligence and closing of the transaction. Ponder’s capital advisory group supported preparations for the transaction through its long history serving as capital advisor to CFH. Additionally, Ponder’s consulting group is assisting UF Health in the integration efforts.
About Ponder & Co.
Ponder & Co. provides M&A and Capital Advisory services to more than 150 non-profit hospital and healthcare system clients. Ponder has completed over 200 M&A engagements involving acute and specialty hospitals, senior health and housing facilities, long-term acute care facilities, ambulatory surgery centers and behavioral health facilities. Transactions have ranged from $10 million to $1.5 billion in value.
Ponder’s M&A advisory services include:
- Strategic option assessments
- Partnerships, joint ventures and strategic alliances
- Mergers, acquisitions and divestitures
- Business valuations and fairness opinion
- Board and special committee assignment
- Real estate transaction services