Ascend Capital Partners – a healthcare-focused private equity firm dedicated to improving the access, affordability, and quality of healthcare for vulnerable and underserved populations – announced that it has acquired a majority stake in Unison Therapy Services, one of the largest outsourced therapy providers for Pre-K – 12 students in school- and community-based settings.
Unison, originally founded in 1989, is a multi-disciplinary provider of therapy services for children with developmental and speech delays, autism, social and emotional developmental needs, and behavioral challenges. And Unison’s network of clinicians works collaboratively to satisfy a child’s special education needs across multiple therapeutic services, including speech therapy, behavioral health, psychology, and physical and occupational therapy.
With its investment, Ascend will provide Unison with operational and clinical expertise, driving enhanced therapy solutions and expanded access to therapeutic services for students and families. Unison will also benefit from Ascend’s capabilities, creating more efficient and effective methods of delivering high-quality care.
This deal is the latest investment out of Ascend Capital Partners’ Fund II. And Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel to Ascend Capital Partners. The financial terms of the transaction were undisclosed.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are excited to announce our investment in Unison, which has built impressive relationships delivering comprehensive, exceptional care solutions to school districts and communities. Unison’s focus on underserved students is highly aligned with Ascend’s mission to serve vulnerable populations with better access to high-quality clinical care, and we look forward to partnering to make a lasting impact for students in need.”
– In Seon Hwang, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Ascend
“This partnership is a pivotal milestone for Unison, positioning us to leverage Ascend’s clinical expertise, infrastructure and support in our next phase of growth. Today’s announcement reflects the strength of our team and the important work we do to provide therapies for students in need, guided by our core values of Compassion, Accountability, Resilience and Excellence.”
– Todd Ezrine, Chief Executive Officer at Unison
“With enhanced capabilities and support, Unison will be even better equipped to drive positive change in the lives of children and their families. In this next chapter for Unison, we will partner to drive access to exceptional clinical care for more students and families across the United States.”
– Alok Sanghvi, Senior Advisor to Ascend on the acquisition
