Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/346715
31 Transactions & Joint Ventures A mbulatory surgery center merger and acquisition activity remains high in the first half of 2014. ASC companies, hospi- tals and health systems are acquiring new centers, and even a few ASC mergers are in the works. Here is a list of ASC industry transactions in the first six months of 2014. Rex Healthcare, based in Raleigh, N.C., announced plans to recruit 20 surgeons to 30 surgeons for a joint venture ambulatory surgery center. A group of physicians in partnership with Surg- Center Development opened Monocacy Surgery Center in Frederick, Md. Great Falls (Mont.) Clinic announced intentions to build a 60,000-square-foot facility adjacent to its Specialty Center in partnership with Symbion. Wolfe Eye Clinic and Heartland Eye Care in Ot- tumwa, Iowa, merged. NVISION Laser Eye Centers acquired two prac- tices of Nevada Eye Care, NVISION's first acqui- sitions in the state. Physicians Realty Trust, a self-managed health- care properties REIT, acquired Peachtree Dun- woody Medical Center in Atlanta for $36.6 mil- lion. The medical center houses several tenants including Peachtree Orthopedics, which has an ambulatory surgery center. The Illinois Health and Facilities Review Board approved St. John's Hospital's proposal to ac- quire Prairie Surgery Center in Springfield, Ill., for $8.5 million. Meridian Surgical Partners, LLC announced is Battle Creek, Mich., facility Brookside Surgery Center, LLC partnered with Bronson Battle Creek, a subsidiary of Bronson Healthcare, in the first hospital partnership for Meridian Surgical Partners. White-Wilson Medical Center assumed manage- ment of day-to-day operations at Emerald Coast Surgery Center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Methodist McKinney Hospital acquired an or- thopedics and pain management-focused outpa- tient surgery center in McKinney, Texas. Fremont (Neb.) Area Medical Center completed the acquisition of Fremont Surgical Center. Northstar Healthcare acquired outpatient sur- gery center Brown Hand Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. Physician Partners of America announced the acquisition of Frisco (Texas) Ambulatory Sur- gery Center. PhotoMedex, a skin health company, announced its intent to acquire LCA-Vision for $106.4 mil- lion. LCA-Vision owns and operates 62 LasikPlus surgery centers. n 14 ASC Industry Transactions — 2014 By Ellie Rizzo