Private equity backed radiology provider LucidHealth is marking its first foray into the Southwest by partnering with the nation’s largest hospital system.
HCA Healthcare has tapped the company to oversee diagnostic and interventional imaging services at its Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center. The contract covers the 265-bed main hospital in Las Vegas along with two freestanding emergency facilities. Southern Hills also plans to open a third ED later this year, with LucidHealth providing coverage there, too.
Nevada marks the seventh state for Columbus, Ohio-based LH, which also operates in its home state, Connecticut, Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa and West Virginia.
“LucidHealth has traditionally been thought of as a regional services provider—but over the past two years has expanded into a multiregional service provider,” Chief Operating Officer David Grau told Radiology Business by email. “Growing into this market allows us to move toward a national presence and we are excited for more opportunities like this in the future.”
The company scored the deal after responding to a request for proposals from HCA. LucidHealth said it is now working to hire both on-site and remote radiologists to cover the full imaging department, including after-hours services. HCA, meanwhile, will provide its own neurointerventional team, Grau noted. This is the first partnership between the two, with HCA also working with other imaging groups such as Solis Mammography and Envision Radiology.
“The Las Vegas area and the larger Clark County region are growing markets, and it's exciting to be a part of,” Grau added. “Also—Southern Hills Hospital and the larger HCA western division have very engaged leadership. They are interested in true partnerships and collaborations around expanding radiology services. With the addition of the third emergency facility, the focus is on how growth can support patient needs in the region.”
LucidHealth bills itself as one of the “largest physician-owned, outsourced providers of radiology services in the country.” Founded in 2016, in part, with funds from private equity firm Excellere Partners, it currently manages about 20 imaging centers and employs 318 radiologists. On the other side, HCA is the largest hospital operator in the U.S., with 180-plus institutions across over 20 states. You can read more about the partnership here.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.