Aveanna Healthcare wrapped up its $345 million acquisition of home health provider Comfort Care Monday and is eyeing more acquisitions heading into 2022.
“The (mergers and acquisition) market doesn’t seem to be slowing down even with the labor dynamics that are in play, ” Aveanna Chief Operating Officer Jeff Shaner told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse, referring to the tight labor market.
Comfort Care — based in Alabama and Tennessee — was the third and most expensive deal Georgia-based Aveanna completed in 2021. The company bought Florida home health services firm Doctors Choice earlier in the year for $120 million and in early December completed its acquisition of California-based Accredited Home Care for $180 million.
Shaner said there is little overlap between Comfort Care in the two states they both serve and the acquisition will help Aveanna penetrate deeper into Alabama.
Integrating Comfort Care into Aveanna will take about six months to complete. Shaner said Comfort Care offices will continue to operate under the Comfort Care name for at least the next year, before eventually transitioning to the Aveanna brand name.
Comfort Care provides home health and hospice services to traditional Medicare patients through a network of 31 locations. Aveanna provides a broad range of services, including rehabilitation services, occupational nursing in schools, day treatment centers, home health and hospice services in 30 states.
