MUSC Health leadership voted this week to move ahead with a $111 million acquisition that would bring South Carolina’s largest independent multispecialty care practice under the academic system’s wing.
The deal was approved unanimously by the Medical University Hospital Authority Board of Trustees at a special meeting. The transaction, effective March 3, makes Palmetto Primary Care Physicians (PPCP) a nonprofit entity underneath MUSC Health.
Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., CEO of MUSC Health and executive vice president for health affairs at the University of South Carolina, said the deal will help MUSC Health bolster access to community-based primary care.
The state faces widespread shortages of such services—only three of its 46 counties are not designated as primary care health professional shortage areas by the South Carolina Department of Public Health (PDF).
“We have worked closely for years with PPCP’s outstanding providers, and their proven value‑based care model makes them an ideal partner,” Cawley said in the system’s announcement. “Together, we will expand access, improve outcomes, support the next generation of clinicians through enhanced training opportunities and grow research and innovation.”
The 30-year-old medical group comprises 31 physicians, 95 advanced practitioners and 40 medical practices. Despite the name, its services extend beyond primary care and include specialty care services like endocrinology, physical therapy, gastroenterology and neurology. PPCP’s footprint is primarily in the southern, central and eastern parts of the state.
Mark Redwine, M.D., president of the PPCP board, said the deal will give the group’s clinicians and staff long-term stability and opens the door to service expansions.
“Joining MUSC Health provides the scale, infrastructure and academic partnership needed to expand access and deliver even stronger value‑based care,” he said. “We are very excited about this partnership and believe it will greatly benefit our patients and enhance our care delivery system.”
MUSC Health’s reach expands the entirety of its home state. The $8.9 billion academic system has about 2,800 licensed beds across its 13 owned and governed hospitals (with five more in development). The system also includes a statewide network of primary and specialty care physicians, clinics and a clinically integrated network/accountable care organization.