MEDIAN, a Waterland Private Equity portfolio company and the largest private operator of rehabilitation clinics in Germany, has signed two purchase agreements on 18 July 2019. In doing so, MEDIAN is further expanding its leading position in the market for rehabilitation with Klinik Eschenburg and the Rhein-Reha centre in Düsseldorf. The purchase prices and other financial details of both transactions were not disclosed.
MEDIAN is acquiring the Eschenburg addiction clinic in Germany’s federal state of Hesse (Lahn-Dill district). The clinic offers 87 treatment places and a broad range of treatment options for drug and alcohol addiction. The Eschenburg clinic possesses particular expertise in treating addiction conditions in older people. The clinic also includes three outpatient facilities in the towns of Dillenburg, Wetzlar and Gießen.

With this acquisition, MEDIAN is not only fostering its status as the largest private rehabilitation company in Germany, but also becomes the market leader in the field of rehabilitation of addiction- and dependency-related conditions with a total of 30 specialist clinics and facilities across Germany. In addition, MEDIAN is continuing its local expansion in the German federal states of Hesse and northern Rhineland-Palatinate. In January 2019, the healthcare company acquired the Wied GmbH & Co. KG clinics in the nearby Westerwald area. Both facilities offer a similar range of services and will work together closely in the future.

In Düsseldorf, MEDIAN will take over the ambulatory cardiological rehabilitation centre Rhein-Reha; the acquisition will take effect at the turn of the year 2019/20. Rhein-Reha will be integrated with its entire hospital operation under the umbrella of MEDIAN's existing outpatient health centre in Düsseldorf („MEDIAN Ambulantes Gesundheitszentrum Düsseldorf“). The integration and transition period will be designed in such a way that neither patients nor staff will experience any interruptions of ongoing treatments.

Dr Carsten Rahlfs, Managing Partner at Waterland, comments: “The demand for rehabilitation services for the treatment of addiction- and dependency-related conditions continues to grow. As the new leader in this field, MEDIAN will profit from the expertise of the Eschenburg clinic. The facility enjoys an outstanding reputation and is the ideal addition to MEDIAN’s presence in the region. In addition, we are pleased about the expansion of the cardiological offers through the takeover of the Düsseldorf Rhein-Reha centre. The potential of the combined entity will be fully realised after integration at the beginning of next year."

Since Waterland became a shareholder, MEDIAN has acquired and integrated 21 individual clinics and clinic groups. While doing so, MEDIAN is aiming to achieve the highest of quality standards in terms of medical rehabilitation and is making significant investments in treatments, additional staff, digitalising processes and modernising clinic buildings. Together with the new facility, the group operates around 120 clinics and facilities with 18,500 beds and treats over 230,000 patients a year. In addition to the rehabilitation clinics, the healthcare company, which employs around 15,000 people, also owns psychiatric acute care hospitals, treatment centres, outpatient departments and rehabilitation facilities in 13 German federal states. Thereby, the company provides comprehensive support in terms of aftercare and participation services in all areas.

With the support of Waterland, MEDIAN plans to continue the consolidation of the German rehabilitation market, both in terms of the development of its regional presence and the provision of additional medical specialty services. In addition, MEDIAN aims to further integrate patient pathways and to implement evidence-based medicine even more as part of its treatment services.

As a shareholder of MEDIAN, the independent investment company Waterland has comprehensive experience in the healthcare sector. As well as MEDIAN, the company’s portfolio in Germany also includes ATOS, a group of somatic acute care clinics that specialises in state-of-the-art orthopaedic medicine, the care service provider Schönes Leben Gruppe, a service platform for outpatient, inpatient and open care for the elderly, which also offers mobile services, assisted living and leisure services. In addition, Waterland holds significant shares in Hansefit, which is a leading network group for occupational sport and health services, with over 1,400 fitness centres having joined the network. At the beginning of the year, Rehacon also became part of Waterland’s portfolio of companies in the healthcare sector, for which four acquisitions have already been closed. Rehacon is one of the leading providers of physiotherapy and treatment services in Europe. The company operates over 120 treatment centres throughout Germany and has over 800 employees.