DeGarA ER Physicians Group Merges With Tennessee Management Company

TROY, Mich., Nov. 08, 2016 -- Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C. (“GMH”) is pleased to announce that its client, DeGarA PLLC, a Pontiac based emergency physician group serving 10 hospitals and freestanding emergency rooms in Michigan, has successfully merged into American Physician Partners (“APP”), a Brentwood, Tenn., ER group that now serves 40 hospitals and ERs in eight states.

APP will provide back-office services to DeGarA, including clinical staffing, training, leadership development, administrative services and other operational assistance. DeGarA will keep its name, and Tressa Gardner, D.O., will continue as its leader, and Regional President of APP.

Bruce W. Haffey, the lead attorney of the GMH Merger & Acquisition team stated: “This merger is a good match for DeGarA, because of the similar business philosophy of APP, and the additional resources APP brings to the organization to promote further growth.”

DeGarA serves Garden City Hospital, McLaren Clarkston Village and its freestanding ER, McLaren Oakland Pontiac, two other McLaren hospitals in Lansing and Lapeer, three St. Mary's health facilities, St. Joseph Health System in Tawas and Huron Medical Center in Bad Axe.

American Physician Partners CEO John Rutledge said the addition of DeGarA adds a high-quality ER group to APP, which was formed in 2015 and had 30 contracts before DeGarA joined it. The combined company now has a combined ER visit volume of 1 million patients. APP expects to add another four contracts in Illinois and two in Arkansas in November.

"The emergency department is the front door to the hospital. A positive ED experience increases the likelihood of patients returning to that hospital for other services offered," Rutledge said in a statement. "Through Dr. Gardner's leadership, DeGarA has grown to include affiliation with several residency programs, multiple and varied locations, and a high quality reputation in Michigan, making her practice well suited to understand the needs of patients and physicians alike, insuring quality outcomes."

"When you take good care of patients, physicians and our hospital partners everything else falls into place." Gardner said in a statement.

Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C. ranks as the 12^th largest law firm in Michigan. Founded over 40 years ago and located in Troy, Michigan, Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C. is a full service law firm with 66 attorneys. GMH has been recognized as a Top Tier Law Firm in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. Additional recognitions include Crain’s Detroit Business Cool Place to Work and Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

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