Combination of Regional Leaders Enhances Scale and Strategic Position Advances Shared Mission to Provide Best-In-Class Services for a Greater Number of Clients
HOUSTON and ORLANDO, Fla. and ROSWELL, Ga., March 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Blue Sprig Pediatrics, Inc. (“BlueSprig”) along with Florida Autism Center and Fusion Autism Center (together, “FAC”) today announced a transformative partnership to create a top-five national provider and the leading provider in the Southern United States of Applied Behavior Analysis (“ABA”) therapy services treating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“The combination of BlueSprig and FAC is a landmark transaction that will significantly advance our shared mission of changing the world for children with autism,” said Keith Jones, President and CEO of BlueSprig. “We are excited to partner with Kristy and the passionate team at FAC to enter into a new chapter of growth. Our enhanced scale and ability to share expertise and resources across our organizations will allow us to extend the reach of our platform, better serve existing and new clients, and collaborate with all stakeholders to advance clinical quality standards and reporting.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) estimate that one in 59 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with ASD by the age of eight. ABA is the gold standard of care for children diagnosed with ASD and BlueSprig and FAC are committed to partnering with providers and opening new centers to increase access and fulfill the unmet need for high-quality behavior analysis treatment.
“Our organizations share an absolute commitment to providing the highest-quality clinical services, and we believe our values and philosophies are a wonderful fit with one another,” said Kristy Rohwedder, CEO of FAC. “We are delighted to join forces with Keith and the BlueSprig team to build a platform with national scale that will be able to deliver enhanced services and better navigation of the increasingly complex health care landscape.”
The transaction follows a period of transformative growth for BlueSprig, which was formed in 2017 with the backing of KKR. Upon completion of the merger, BlueSprig and FAC will serve more than 1,800 families at nearly 110 centers across 13 states. The combined company will have a leading position in the Southern United States, including the states of Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas. KKR is providing new capital from its Health Care Strategic Growth Fund to fund the merger and support the continued growth of the combined company.
About Blue Sprig Pediatrics, Inc.
BlueSprig, founded in 2017, is a center-based provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (“ABA”) therapy services to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”). BlueSprig is on a mission to change the world for children with autism and is committed to providing compassionate, individualized, and evidence-based behavior analysis treatment. Headquartered in Houston, TX, BlueSprig is the largest autism services provider in Texas with locations in Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington. For additional information about BlueSprig or to receive updates, visit www.bluesprigautism.com
About Florida Autism Center / Fusion Autism Center
Florida Autism Center was founded in 2005 and provides Applied Behavior Analysis (“ABA”) treatment services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”). The company serves the autism community with center-based ABA therapy services across the state of Florida and in Georgia under the Fusion Autism Center brand. For additional information about the platform in Florida and Georgia, please visit our Affiliated Companies page.