Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe and Healthcare Industry Veteran Announce Formation of U.S. Anesthesia Partners, Inc.
NEW YORK and FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (WCAS), a private equity firm exclusively focused on healthcare and information/business services, and industry veteran Kristen Bratberg, today announced the formation of U.S. Anesthesia Partners (USAP), a single-specialty physician services organization focused on anesthesia and perioperative care. Mr. Bratberg serves as USAP’s chief executive officer.
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., USAP will identify and partner with leading, quality groups of anesthesiologists who seek a strategic partner with the capital resources and expertise to invest in their practice support infrastructure, and position them for continued success and growth within their markets. A key element of USAP’s business model is to invest in IT systems that will drive efficiencies in provider workflow and the management of perioperative care processes.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Kris, who brings a proven track record of growing and managing physician services businesses. We look forward to supporting USAP in their efforts to build a leading physician-centric management company for anesthesia practices,” said Brian Regan, a general partner at WCAS.
“USAP’s strategy is based on bringing together high quality groups of anesthesia providers and their physician leaders, a proven business leadership team and a leading financial sponsor with deep capital resources and healthcare industry expertise,” said Mr. Bratberg. “These are the required components to build a lasting physician services organization within anesthesia. USAP represents a new and unique strategic partner for independent groups because it is focused on anesthesia, and we offer equity ownership in USAP to our physician partners.”
Biographical Information
Kris Bratberg has more than twenty years of experience working within the healthcare services industry. Since 1995, he has played key roles in building and managing national, single-specialty physician services organizations including Sound Physicians, Inc., a leading hospitalist physician services organization where he was a founder and Chairman and remains a Director, as well as Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. (now MedNax), where he served as President and CEO. Under Mr. Bratberg’s tenure, Pediatrix grew to be the nation’s leading provider of neonatal physician services. While at Pediatrix, he also led the effort to build Obstetrix Medical Group from a startup to become the leading provider of maternal-fetal physician services.
About U.S. Anesthesia Partners
U.S. Anesthesia Partners is a single-specialty physician services organization that offers practice management services to anesthesiologists. It was recently formed by WCAS and members of management to identify and collaborate with leading, quality groups of anesthesiologists who seek a strategic partner with the capital resources and expertise to invest in their practice support infrastructure and position them for continued success and growth within their markets. Key elements of USAP’s business model are its single-specialty focus and its ability to offer anesthesiologists equity ownership in USAP.
About Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe focuses its investment activity in two target industries, information/business services and healthcare. Since its founding in 1979, the firm has organized 15 limited partnerships with total capital of $20 billion. The firm is currently investing an equity fund, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe XI, L.P. See www.welshcarson.com to learn more.