Solantic Headquarters to Abandon Jacksonville for Nashville

[Jdog]

Solantic headquarters moving to Nashville

The headquarters for Solantic Corp., the urgent-care medical chain co-founded by Gov. Rick Scott and recently sold to an investment group, will move from Jacksonville to Nashville by the end of the year.
Spoksewoman Mandy Villalva said Tuesday that Solantic is taking part of the executive team to start its Nashville presence and will complete the move by the end of December.

She said the employees have been notified, but she did not know immediately how many staff members will be involved. Company headquarters are at 8711 Perimeter Blvd., near Southside and Butler boulevards.

Villalva said Solantic, with 32 urgent-care clinics in Florida, will expand with the move to Nashville.

“It’s the biggest medical hub in the entire United States,” she said. “They are looking at being at the jumping-off point where the magic is happening.”

Solantic was founded in June 2001 by Scott and Karen Bowling, now a member of Mayor Alvin Brown’s administration. Bowling served as president and CEO of Solantic. Scott was elected governor last November.

Solantic stands for “South on the Atlantic.” Its website, www.solantic.com, reports that most offices are open seven days a week with extended evening and weekend hours for walk-in medical care.

Solantic announced in late June that the company was sold to Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a New York-based investment firm. It joined health care executive Michael Klein to form a new ownership and management team.

In late May, Klein had been named Solantic president and CEO and Bowling was named senior strategic adviser to the company.

Klein most recently was president and CEO of Renal Advantage, a 154-center dialysis company based in Franklin, Tenn., near Nashville. It operates in 19 states with more than 12,000 patients.

In July, Bowling joined the Brown administration as deputy chief administrative officer. Brown was elected in May and took office July 1.

Klein said that expansion was the plan.

“It is our intention to continue to grow in our existing markets as well as open new markets,” Klein said in a June statement.

Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care announced in August that it planned to offer more than 50 new jobs statewide for physicians, physician assistants and front-office staff in many of its centers.

Bowling said Tuesday that she spent a decade building the business.

“It was a great 10 years,” she said. “If not for that opportunity, I would probably not have the opportunity I have today.”

Bowling said Solantic’s goal was to improve access to health care. “I’m glad to know that continues,” she said.

Since opening its first four centers in 2002 in North Florida, Solantic has expanded to more than 30 centers located throughout the state. There are 12 clinics in Northeast Florida.

Bowling said each clinic employs about 20-25 people, indicating that Solantic has 700-800 employees throughout Florida and 240-300 in the greater Jacksonville area. Bowling said all those employees remain on the job and are not affected by the headquarters move.

The North Florida offices are co-owned by Solantic and Baptist Health and managed by Solantic. In a news release in early 2010, Solantic said the centers were being renamed Solantic Baptist Urgent Care.

Baptist President and CEO Hugh Greene said then Solantic patients who needed follow-up care could leave the urgent care center with an appointment with a primary care or other physician.

“In essence, while always honoring the patient’s choice, we will seek to make the referral process an effortless and seamless one for the patient. Our collective vision is to help more people manage their ongoing health needs,” he said.

Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe is a private investment firm that focuses on information and business services and on health care.

A news release announcing the acquisition said Welsh, Carson’s strategy was to buy growth businesses, partner with management teams and build value for investors through a combination of operational improvements, internal growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions.

“We are very excited to have a strong financial backer to position Solantic for the future,” Klein said in the news release.

Klein said in June that updated technology and the new structure would allow for strategic expansion while the company focuses to deliver its promise to patients, “seeing a doctor has never been this easy.”

In addition to Solantic, Welsh, Carson’s health care companies consist of Aptuit, Ardent Health Services, Bausch & Lomb, K2M, NDX, Onward Healthcare, Select Medical Corp., SHPS, Smile Brands Group, Solstas Lab Partners, Springstone and United Surgical Partners.

According to a Bloomberg Businessweek profile, Klein has been president and CEO of Solantic Corp. since May 19. He was president and CEO of Renal Advantage, also known as Renal America, since February 2000.

He served as a member of senior management at Caremark International Inc. and Baxter. He was president of the North Central Division of Gambro Healthcare from July 2000 to January 2004 and led its largest business division.

He also has served as president and CEO of SSI Surgical Services Inc. and co-founded Urotherapies Inc.

Published reports show that Welsh, Carson bought a 30 percent share in Solantic in 2007 when it committed up to $100 million to the company.

Reports show that Scott valued his majority share of the company at $62 million in the financial disclosure filed as part of his gubernatorial race. The deal’s value was not disclosed.

Florida corporate records show that Solantic LLC was registered with the state in November 2001.


http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=534847

[iMarvin]

... Oh well. I guess we aren't that big of a medical hub after all.

[Tacachale]

Your kidding. What was the point of Rick Scott again? Anything?

[Gators312]

I'm confused as to how this is a petty reprisal? 

Also didn't Scott sell his interest in the company prior to the decision to move?

When companies get sold, often times the headquarters move, the timing of the move is not extraordinary.

I'm in no way a Scott fan, but I do appreciate intellectual honesty no matter who we are discussing.

[tufsu1]

well don't worry....all kinds of copmpanies are looking to locate here...Rick Scott is calling them up every day!

[ben says]

I'm confused as to how this is a petty reprisal? 

Also didn't Scott sell his interest in the company prior to the decision to move?

When companies get sold, often times the headquarters move, the timing of the move is not extraordinary.

I'm in no way a Scott fan, but I do appreciate intellectual honesty no matter who we are discussing.

Don't really think this is an issue of intellectual honesty...

[simms3]

I heard through the grape vine that Jim Love proposed a resolution to be voted on by City Council to study GP's study on the effects of dumping into the river, and Lake Ray voted against it and was quoted as saying that it would send the wrong message to manufacturers.  Can anyone confirm this?  If true, then I don't think Lake Ray is as opposed to the dumping as we may think.

[simms3]

On the surface all good points.  Dig a little deeper and it's a matter of taking the easy way out or actually fighting on the side of good.  Who cares at this point what Rick Scott thinks?  He has not done anything to help anyone, nor does he most likely have the gall to stand up for issues, taking the tough side.  He may only be around for another 2.5 years or whatever his remaining term.

Also, I am changing my tune on the port after some recent studies have come across my desk.  You guys simply would not believe the possibility that we are on a wild goose chase with the port expansion.  Take the high road and do absolutely whatever is necessary to protect our river.  That should be the focus of everyone in Northeastern FL not employed by the plant or sitting on the board of the Manufacturer's Association.

[thelakelander]

^I started questioning the port thing after sitting on the Mayor's transportation transition team, listening to a few presentations and then doing my own research on the topic and looking at what other East Coast ports were doing in comparison.  My position is we'd be better off developing a sound alternative plan that enhances shipping operations without relying on dredging the river to 48' to 50'.  We don't necessarily have to invest $800 million to $1 billion to enjoy significant growth in the shipping industry.  Thus, when we discover and accept that we're five to ten years behind everyone else with this panamax stuff, all won't be lost.   

[simms3]

The study that came across my way actually went way further.  In 2000 most of Asian imports had to come through the West Coast and then over to the East Coast by rail.  In 2010, 94% of Asian imports coming to the East Coast already come directly to the East Coast and only 5% come through the West Coast and then by rail.  This is of course excluding air freight and only focusing on traffic movements originating by all water routes.

It is estimated that in the year 2000, just under half of the Far East imports destined for the U.S. Northeast were moving through East Coast ports (via either the Panama or Suez Canal), while the rest were discharged at West Coast ports and then moved via rail intermodal service. By 2010, five years before the projected completion of the widening of the Panama Canal, the East Coast port share of the same cargo was already over 94%. Data for intermodal volumes to U.S. Southeast destinations are less readily available or comparable, but analysis indicates that the result is basically the same: by 2010, nearly all of the container volume moving from the Far East to destinations along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard had already been diverted away from West Coast intermodal service. Partial data from 2011 indicate that the AWS share today is even higher than it was in 2010.

source: CBRE Econometric Advisors

The long paper I read is probably proprietary research data, but they pulled their cargo data from not only the US Census, but Trans Systems estimates, Journal of Commerce PIERS data, Intermodal Association of North America, inter-regional intermodal container flow data.

It goes on.  Far East shipments to the section of our country from the Rockies to the Appalachians is dropped off to West Coast ports and either warehoused there in Inland Empire, etc or immediately put on rail to the interior of the country.  This traffic will never come from East Coast or Gulf Coast ports because it would be redundant, "backtracking" if you will.

Long story short, East Coast ports will have to grow organically and should not, in fact, rely on the supposed "Post-Panamax" boom.  Therefore while I believe we should focus on growing our port, we should not invest $1B in the name of the potential waste that is the widening of the Panama Canal.

[Gators312]

He sold 'his' interests to his wife, Gators.

They are still major shareholders, they just dont technically own the controlling share of the stock.  But their management teams etc are still in place, the only thing that changes was the stock ownership.

It is intellectually dishonest to pretend that he just up and sold the company, don't you think?

It is, Stephen.

An article in Florida Trend, read as if Scott had given up ALL his interests in the company so there was my confusion.

I don't like what I read about Lake Ray's comments either.  It's disturbing.  He's throwing a temper tantrum to get his way on the pipeline.  I would really like to see someone ask for comment from the Governor's office regarding Mr. Ray's quotes. 

Having said all that I still don't think the Solantic deal is an attack on Jacksonville, once again lots of companies move their headquarters after a sale.  I could see the motivation of getting Solantic out of the area so he is not so scrutinized over it repeatedly.  But I think if he really wanted to stick Solantic in Jacksonville's eye, he would have pressured a move to Orlando or Tampa.   

Even Mr. Armingeon says he doesn't think Scott keeps a book of naughty and nice.

[buckethead]

Not to get off track, but there are nuggets within this discussion showing a main factor in exponentially rising health care costs. These huge firms and market movers aren't getting into the dialysis business due to benevolence. They do so because there are HUGE government dollars in play. I don't know exact figures but a majority (perhaps vast) of dialysis patients are Medicare/Medicaid. I realize this isn't what Solantic is about but it is what the majority interest is about.

I'll find out if Solantic accepts assignment. It will be telling.

ESRD clinic motto: Grease the feet. (true story)

[Ocklawaha]

Dear Mayor Brown,

You are hereby notified that you will immediately build more highways and turnpikes and that your going to like it. You know after the Grand Old Party destroys the 19Th century technology called Amtrak, and all other Soviet Style Monopoly's of public mass transit, were coming to toll all of your roads. The public be damned, this is about bigger money then you can imagine.

As soon as our revolution is complete, we will declare more wars and seize more oil fields in the name of national security. Just go along with our plans and I'm sure we can make your life more comfortable, gasoline at .50 cents a gallon is right around the corner. Trust me, I'm a Tea Party Republican.

With Love
Rick Scott

Stephen? Lake? We knew this one was coming didn't we!

OCKLAWAHA

[chipwich]

Not a fan of Solantic anyway.  I like the idea of urgent care, but definitely had useless experiences the two times I tried Solantic.

I would much rather try to go to my GP, or if need be another urgent care office that is staffed by caring doctors who will go out of their way to make sure you are properly diagnosed and treated.

So, its better for Jacksonville not to be associated with that company and its controlling partners.  The less we have of Scott's ventures and control, the better off we are.

[avonjax]

chipwich, I had the same experience. 2 visits; 2 misdiagnosis.