Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Completes Acquisition of Thrive Skilled Pediatric Care
- Expansion into two new states and enhanced footprint in existing markets
- Strategic acquisition of 23 locations across seven states
- Complementary service offerings in pediatric home care
- Perfect geographical fit with existing operations
- Potential integration challenges and costs
- Additional debt and stock dilution from transaction financing
- Execution risks in realizing expected synergies
- Increased exposure to regulatory and reimbursement risks across more states
Insights
Aveanna's acquisition of Thrive SPC expands its pediatric home care footprint, strengthening market position across seven states.
Aveanna Healthcare's completed acquisition of Thrive Skilled Pediatric Care represents a strategic expansion in the specialized pediatric home care segment. The transaction enhances Aveanna's geographic coverage by adding 23 locations across seven states, including two entirely new markets for the company. This expansion aligns with the ongoing consolidation trend in home healthcare, where scale has become increasingly important for negotiating with payors and managing operational costs.
The acquisition appears particularly complementary from a service perspective. Thrive SPC's core offering of Private Duty Nursing services, supplemented by Pediatric Therapy and other aide services, fits squarely within Aveanna's existing business model focused on medically complex, high-cost patient populations. This patient demographic typically carries higher reimbursement rates compared to general home care services, reflecting the specialized clinical expertise required.
While financial terms weren't disclosed, the funding structure using a combination of stock and cash suggests a balanced approach to capital deployment. This mixed consideration structure helps Aveanna preserve cash while still executing its growth strategy through acquisition. For a company operating in a sector with high regulatory overhead and staffing challenges, this geographic expansion could provide operational leverage across a broader footprint, potentially improving margins if integration is executed effectively.
ATLANTA, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAH), a leading, diversified home care platform focused on providing care to medically complex, high-cost patient populations, today announced that it completed its acquisition of Thrive Skilled Pediatric Care, LLC ("Thrive SPC").
Thrive SPC is one of the largest independent providers of pediatric home care with 23 locations in seven states including Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Virginia, and Texas. Thrive SPC primarily provides skilled Private Duty Nursing services, but also provides Pediatric Therapy, Licensed Health Aide Services, and Certified Nurse Assistant Services. The combination with Thrive SPC creates an enhanced footprint in existing states while also introducing Aveanna’s specialized care model into two new states.
“The addition of Thrive Skilled Pediatric Care to Aveanna creates a tremendous growth opportunity for the combined company” said Jeff Shaner, Chief Executive Officer of Aveanna. “Thrive SPC is an exceptional company with a perfect geographical fit for us, and together we share a true commitment to clinical excellence and compassionate care. The addition of Thrive SPC reinforces our strategic mission of remaining the leader in delivering high-quality care while bringing unprecedented value and clinical innovation to our payors and stakeholders. We're excited to complete this transaction and officially welcome Thrive SPC to our Aveanna family.”
Aveanna funded the deal with a combination of shares of common stock and cash.
Edge Healthcare Partners served as financial advisor to Aveanna, and Bass, Berry & Sims provided legal counsel. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. served as financial advisor to Thrive SPC while Ropes & Gray LLP served as Thrive SPC’s legal advisor.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements (other than statements of historical facts) in this press release regarding our prospects, plans, financial position, business strategy and expected financial and operational results may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of terminology such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “seek,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “guidance,” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar expressions. These statements are based on certain assumptions that we have made in light of our experience in the industry as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate in these circumstances. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect on us. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, such as our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy, including through organic growth and the completion of acquisitions, effective integration of the companies we acquire, unexpected costs of acquisitions and dispositions, the possibility that expected cost synergies may not materialize as expected, the failure of Aveanna or the companies we acquire to perform as expected, estimation inaccuracies in revenue recognition, our ability to drive margin leverage through lower costs, unexpected increases in SG&A and other expenses, changes in reimbursement, changes in government regulations, changes in Aveanna’s relationships with referral sources, increased competition for Aveanna’s services or wage inflation, the failure to retain or attract employees, changes in the interpretation of government regulations or discretionary determinations made by government officials, uncertainties regarding the outcome of rate discussions with managed care organizations and our ability to effectively collect our cash from these organizations, changes in the case-mix of our patients, as well as the payor mix and payment methodologies, legal proceedings, claims or governmental inquiries, our ability to effectively collect and submit data required under Electronic Visit Verification regulations, our ability to comply with the terms and conditions of the CMS Review Choice Demonstration program, our ability to effectively implement and transition to new electronic medical record systems or billing and collection systems, a failure to maintain the security and functionality of our information systems or to defend against or otherwise prevent a cybersecurity attack or breach, changes in tax rates, our substantial indebtedness, the impact of adverse weather, and other risks set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Aveanna’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for its 2024 fiscal year filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2025, which is available at www.sec.gov. In addition, these forward-looking statements necessarily depend upon assumptions, estimates and dates that may prove to be incorrect or imprecise. Accordingly, forward-looking statements included in this press release do not purport to be predictions of future events or circumstances, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed by forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and Aveanna undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
About Aveanna Healthcare
Aveanna Healthcare is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and has locations in 36 states providing a broad range of pediatric and adult healthcare services including nursing, rehabilitation services, occupational nursing in schools, therapy services, day treatment centers for medically fragile and chronically ill children and adults, home health and hospice services, as well as delivery of enteral nutrition and other products to patients. The Company also provides case management services in order to assist families and patients by coordinating the provision of services between insurers or other payers, physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers. In addition, the Company provides respite healthcare services, which are temporary care provider services provided in relief of the patient’s normal caregiver. The Company’s services are designed to provide a high quality, lower cost alternative to prolonged hospitalization. For more information, please visit www.aveanna.com.
Investor Contact
Matt Buckhalter
Chief Financial Officer
Ir@aveanna.com
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