Ignite Medical Resorts Teams with University of Kansas Health in Latest Skilled Nursing Expansion

Ignite Medical Resorts continued its expansion this week with the acquisition of a 96-bed skilled nursing facility in partnership with the University of Kansas Health System.

Formerly known as the Kansas City Transitional Care Center, the facility will be renamed Ignite Medical Resort, in Partnership with the University of Kansas Health System when the transfer formally closes on September 1.

The Kansas City Business Journal initially reported the news.

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The property, located on the Kansas side of the Kansas City metropolitan area, will augment the hospital system’s existing 29-bed inpatient rehabilitation center, according to a joint statement on the deal from both parties.

“Our health system is always selective in choosing a partner,” Tammy Peterman, president of the hospital network’s Kansas City division, said in the statement. “Ignite is recognized for its commitment to quality patient care. We are pleased to partner with them at this facility.”

The transaction marks the Niles, Ill.-based Ignite’s first hospital system partnership and the latest in a string of recent growth moves. The operator, which specializes in higher-end, hotel-style rehabilitation facilities, recently saw real estate investment trust (REIT) LTC Properties, Inc. invest $38 million to purchase a pair of its facilities — one already open in the Kansas City market, and another under development for completion by 2020.

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That wasn’t the first REIT-backed deal for Ignite: Last year, National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE: NHI) pumped $25 million into the development of a 144-bed skilled nursing facility near Milwaukee, with a top official at the REIT describing the move as a “home run.”

The company also maintains additional SNFs in Illinois, though UK noted that the Kansas City location will be the only one formally affiliated with the hospital system.

In keeping with Ignite’s focus on hospitality, the University of Kansas Health property will feature private rooms with 50-inch televisions, room service, and spa appointments; on the clinical side, Ignite and UK will offer on-site pharmacy services, seven-day-per week therapy coverage, and dedicated programs for cardiac, stroke, and orthopedic rehab.

Ignite and UK will continue to employ Jessica Kalendar-Rich as the facility’s medical director, with the hospital system assuming oversight of care quality.

In addition to its primary hospital location in Kansas City, Kan., the UK system maintains campuses across the state.

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