StoneBridge Healthcare Makes Bid to Acquire Care New England Health System

LAHASKA, Pa., Dec. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- StoneBridge Healthcare, LLC (StoneBridge), an innovative company formed to buy, save and turn around distressed hospitals in the cities and suburbs of America, today announced it has presented a Letter of Intent (LOI) to purchase Rhode Island-based Care New England Health System. StoneBridge would make a significant investment in order to financially stabilize Care New England to allow the health system to continue its mission to transform the future of health care for the communities it serves.

"Care New England Health System has provided outstanding care to its patients for many years, and StoneBridge Healthcare is committed to the continuation of this high standard of care in Rhode Island," said Joshua Nemzoff, Chief Executive Officer, StoneBridge Healthcare. "We believe that StoneBridge Healthcare is in a strong position to help Care New England to continue delivering cutting-edge care to the communities it serves for years to come."

StoneBridge has offered a transaction value of $550 million with a purchase price of $250 million and a $300 million investment in capital improvements over six years to further transform the health system. The offer that StoneBridge has submitted includes a provision that will fully fund the employee's pension plan at closing – a plan that is currently underfunded by more than $125 million. Care New England hospitals include the following: Butler Hospital, Kent Hospital, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Care New England Medical Group, the VNA of Care New England, The Providence Center, and a certified accountable care organization (ACO) Integra.

"As the cost of care has risen and the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a tremendous strain on health systems across the nation, StoneBridge Healthcare is ready to assist Care New England during these challenging times to continue delivering an outstanding continuum of care to the region," Nemzoff added. "StoneBridge Healthcare has the expertise and financial resources needed to help lead Care New England to a promising future."

The LOI is not binding, and a Definitive Agreement would be finalized in a short period of time once comprehensive due diligence is performed. StoneBridge is a privately-owned company capitalized through a multi-layered composite finance group that includes nationally known debt and equity sources.

Earlier this year, StoneBridge submitted an offer to acquire the Erlanger Heath System in Tennessee for a transaction value of $475 million. StoneBridge is actively pursuing discussions related to this transaction, which is a system of similar size to Care New England and has also been devastated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About StoneBridge Healthcare
StoneBridge Healthcare is an innovative company formed to buy, save and turn around deeply distressed hospitals in the cities and suburbs of America. StoneBridge is capitalized through a multi-layered composite finance group that includes nationally known debt and equity sources. The company features a nationally recognized team of experts in healthcare operations, finance, acquisitions and turnarounds.

Our decades of experience, our financial investment and our commitment to expand primary care into the urban areas we serve make our company the only one of its kind. StoneBridge Healthcare plans to purchase and turn around acute care hospitals that are in significant economic distress and could otherwise be forced to close. StoneBridge will identify and buy hospitals that can be saved, and then work urgently to make sure these hospitals survive and succeed.

StoneBridge is committed to responding to the healthcare needs of the urban markets it operates in through an initiative that is known as "The Mission Project." Using the hospitals it acquires as a base of operations, StoneBridge will bring much-needed services into the community. StoneBridge will listen to and work with local groups to understand the gaps in community care – and then put money and time into offering clinics or other life-changing help. The solutions may look different in each market, but the commitment will be consistent. The hospitals can provide the doctors, nurses, pharmacies, kitchens and vehicles to bring care and support to people where they live. For more information please visit: stonebridgehealthcare.com.

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SOURCE StoneBridge Healthcare