São Luiz invests US$ 176.5 million in expansion
Valor Econômico
After 40 years, yesterday was the first day the São Luiz Hospital ceased to be controlled by the Vasone and Marco Antonio families, who signed on Friday at 6 PM, the sale agreement for the control of the São Paulo hospital to the Rio de Janeiro chain D'Or, which financial partner is the BTG Pactual bank. The deal was announced in September. In this new phase, the São Luiz already has defined its expansion plan in the State of São Paulo, which will require investments of nearly R$ 300 million (US$ 176.5 million) as well as the role it will play in hospital group which, with the acquisition, has became the largest of the country, with total earnings of R$ 2.3 billion (US$ 1.4 billion).
The project of growth for the next year foresees the construction of a new unit in São Caetano do Sul, in Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (the Great ABC region). Besides, the company also has plans to buy hospitals or erect new units in Campinas and in the region of Baixada Santista. "Our idea is to build a hospital with the São Luiz brand in São Caetano, where the purchasing power is equivalent to that of the public that we cater to in São Paulo", says Denise Santos, President of the São Luiz. In the other two areas (Campinas and Baixada Santista), it's not yet defined whether the São Luiz brand will be used because such a decision depends on whether the strategy will be the construction of a hospital or an acquisition. In case it is decided for the acquisition, it will be studied the strength of the brand of the hospitals acquired in the regions. An example are the Brasil and Assunção hospitals located in the ABC region, which will have their original names preserved regardless of the acquisition by the D'Or chain.
The strategy of the D'Or/São Luiz health group already established the São Paulo hospital will be responsible for the management and expansion plans of the units located in São Paulo. With that, the São Luiz will begin managing a hospital chain with eight units as of 2011. Such units include the three current units of the Sao Luiz (Itaim, Morumbi and Anália Franco), the Brasil and Assunção hospitals, besides the three future facilities which will be located in São Caetano, Campinas and Baixada Santista.