AxelaCare has patient care in its 'DNA'

LENEXA, Kan. - AxelaCare in February acquired ARC Infusion and has two more deals in the pipeline as it looks to pump up its geographic reach, say company execs.

With the acquisition of the Los Angeles-based ARC, AxelaCare now has 15 pharmacies that stretch from the West Coast to the East Coast and provide both acute and chronic home infusion services.

“It looks like the typical consolidation of a fragmented market, but the bigger benefit is really that care focus,” said David Schaefer, chief marketing officer. “We are not just picking up anyone.”

In November, AxelaCare doubled its number of pharmacies when it acquired SCP Specialty Infusion from Chicago-based Shore Capital Partners. The company was formed in 2008 by Ted and Kathee Kramm and has been backed by private-equity firm Harvest Partners since 2013.

AxelaCare is staking much of its growth on its patient-centered model. Under its CareExchange program, nurses collect patient data using measurements like physical assessments and quality of life, which they transmit to a central database with patient histories, diagnostics and prescriptions. The data is available to physicians to help them determine whether a treatment plan is working. It all adds up to better—and more cost-effective—patient care and potential savings for payers, says Schaefer.

“I think a lot of providers are negotiating based on price,” he said. “We are working to tell you whether the drug is working so the bigger cost savings is to know what's working. It's a different model and we are finding payers are responsive to it.”

AxelaCare is actively looking to make new acquisitions, and while it likes companies with multiple locations or bigger markets, other elements are equally important, says Schaefer.

“We look more at the core fundamentals of the company, and the patient care,” he said. “Patient care is the DNA of this company.”