Advent Home Medical looks to grow beyond Midwest

PONTIAC, Mich. – Advent Home Medical’s recent acquisition of Life Tech gives the provider of high-acute home respiratory a platform to expand nationally, says Rob Hensley, CEO. 

The deal added three states to Advent’s footprint in the Midwest, making it the largest provider of home-based invasive ventilation in the country, the company says. 

“We want to dominate the region leading high-tech respiratory care in the Midwest and control that footprint,” said Hensley. “We’ll start to expand nationally once we get the Midwest region locked.” 

In March 2021, private equity firm New Harbor Capital completed a majority equity investment in Advent Home Medical, helping to set the company on a more aggressive growth path. 

Elmhurst, Ill.-based Life Tech is the first acquisition for Advent Home Medical, which Carlia Cichon, a respiratory therapist, launched from her home in 2004 when she saw a niche market in providing high-quality care to invasive ventilator patients. 

“She wanted to offer a solution to get those patients home safely and effectively, and try to provide the best quality of life and care for that patient demographic,” Hensley said. “She built it from the basement to what it is today. It’s been an incredible journey to focus on these highly acute very vulnerable patients that we serve.” 

Today, Advent Home Medical also provides tracheostomy care, oxygen therapy and some DME and supplies like wound care, incontinence and enteral – anything that its vent patients might need. It also provides some non-invasive ventilator care, which comprises about 5% of its business. 

Although the provider faces the same declining reimbursement challenges as everyone else, that’s offset by a growing population of baby boomers with chronic diseases like ALS and COPD, says Hensley. 

“There’s growth projected out for the next 20 years, with more and more need for services as time goes on,” he said. 

Life Tech will operate as Life Tech, an Advent Home Medical Company, and its employees, including CEO Brian Dacy, who will serve as president and chief strategy officer, will stay on board, says Hensley. The two companies fit together like “twin brothers,” he said. 

“We focus 100% on the patient, and the business and the money flows from that belief we all have,” he said. “Advent and Life Tech are patient-centric and strive to do what’s right for the patient and referrals.”