IPC The Hospitalist Company acquires Hospital Medicine Associates

IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPCM), a leading national hospitalist physician group practice company, announced today that it has acquired Hospital Medicine Associates, P.C. (HMA). Based in Livingston, New Jersey, HMA represents IPC's second practice group in the state, following the recent acquisition of a hospitalist group in nearby Morristown. IPC expects to add approximately 25,000 patient encounters annually from the HMA acquisition.

Adam Singer, M.D., IPC's Chairman and CEO, said, "IPC initially established operations in New Jersey in June of this year and the acquisition of HMA will serve to strengthen our presence in this important market. HMA is a high-quality group of providers with skilled leadership but faced the challenges of a limited business infrastructure. Now HMA can build on our solid business platform to grow its practice and reach its full potential."

Ed Crandell, IPC's Executive Director for the region, commented, "HMA's hospitalists will continue to practice at St. Barnabas Medical Center and also provide coverage at skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in the surrounding area. We believe that the additional resources from IPC in areas such as recruitment, technology and quality initiatives will enable HMA to increase service levels in these facilities as well as provide opportunities for expansion to additional sites."

HMA's owner, Jaqueline Holubka M.D., will remain with the group and continue to serve as Practice Group Leader. Dr. Holubka remarked, "I look forward to continuing my career as a hospitalist with the IPC family. I've been very impressed with the quality of IPC's clinical leadership and with the company's constant attention to innovation and support of its practice groups."