Lync Health Partners will focus on growth, development and management of ambulatory surgery centers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A Nashville-based group of healthcare executives announced their next venture today, launching a new ambulatory surgery center (ASC) development and management company, Lync Health Partners. Backed by funding from MSouth Equity Partners, Lync plans to partner with ASCs in markets across the country to equip them with the tools, resources and expertise to capitalize on the shift of higher acuity surgical cases from hospital inpatient facilities to freestanding outpatient facilities.
The seasoned trio behind Lync includes CEO Kenny Hancock, COO Cathy Kowalski and CFO Jim Uden. Together, the three combine for more than 80 years of healthcare management experience, including 20+ years of working together across several companies including, Meridian Surgical Partners, Surgical Alliance, and OrthoLink Physicians Corporation. The group plans to help position existing ASCs for growth by assisting them in adding higher-acuity service lines — including total joint replacement, spine and cardiology.
“We are excited to have our proven team back together to pursue the tremendous opportunities we see in the ASC sector,” Hancock said. “The demand for these services is increasing dramatically, and we’re hearing from physicians across the country looking for the expertise and resources to add service lines and continue growing their business. We want to help these surgeons best position their practices to capitalize on this exciting moment. Our business model is designed to lower healthcare costs and provide the best possible outcomes for patients.”
The company launched with the acquisition of the Orthopedic Ambulatory Surgery Center in St. Louis (OASCC), opened in 2015. The center currently has 15 partners and offers a full complement of musculoskeletal surgical sub-subspecialties.
“We are confident that after an exhaustive diligence and selection process, OASCC has chosen the ideal private equity partner in MSouth and an experienced operator in Lync Health Partners to support our expansion efforts and mission to provide the highest quality of care in a state-of-the-art facility so our patients can have the best possible experience and outcomes,” said David Brown, M.D. of OASCC.
The company’s launch comes amid a national trend of increasing volumes for outpatient surgical centers, spurred in part by federal reimbursement policies encouraging hospitals to migrate certain care from inpatient settings to ASCs through site-neutrality. Data shows ASCs can provide significant cost savings, as evidenced by a recent study from Bain & Company noting joint replacement procedures often cost up to 50 percent less in ASCs when compared to hospitals.
Lync’s funding comes from MSouth Equity Partners, a private equity investment firm based out of Atlanta with an office in Nashville. Founded in 2007, MSouth has raised capital of $2.2 billion across four funds and invests with the objective of increasing operating cash flow through growth initiatives and active ownership. Buddy Bacon, a longtime healthcare exec and partner in MSouth’s Nashville office, led the project alongside Charles Stubbs, Jerry Nowlin and Matt Craine.
“This group’s best asset is their experience,” Bacon said. “They’ve been around the industry for decades and understand what it takes to be successful in today’s market. Kenny, Cathy and Jim have taken multiple successful businesses through organizational phases, investor funding and growth phases, all the way through to maturity and exit. We’re confident in their business model and look forward to partnering closely with them for this exciting opportunity.”
ABOUT LYNC HEALTH PARTNERS
Nashville-based Lync Health Partners specializes in the acquisition, development, growth and management of ambulatory surgery centers across the country. Its experienced leadership team focuses on helping physician partners expand their services through the addition of higher-acuity surgical cases, including total joint replacement, spine and cardiology. The company was founded in 2021, with funding from MSouth Equity Partners, a private equity investment firm based out of Atlanta with an office in Nashville.
For more information, please visit lync-hp.com.
ABOUT MSOUTH EQUITY PARTNERS
MSouth Equity Partners is a private equity investment firm that provides equity capital and expertise to support management teams in acquisitions and recapitalizations of lower middle market companies. Based in Atlanta with an office in Nashville, MSouth invests primarily in the South with a consistent focus on management buyouts of business services, specialty distribution, niche manufacturing, healthcare services and telecommunications / media companies. With more than $2.2 billion of capital raised across four funds, MSouth is a successor of Cravey, Green and Wahlen, Inc., which was founded in 1984. For more information, please visit msouth.com.