One of the Dayton areas biggest home health care providers has acquired a primary care practice to expand its services.

Home health agency Black Stone said Monday it acquired Advanced Geriatric Education & Consulting, an area primary care practice that provides home calls. Advanced Geriatric Education is a practice of nurse practitioners that specializes in home-based medical care for the elderly, according to Black Stone.

Black Stone currently offers home care, assisted care and skilled nursing care.

Home care is a rapidly growing segment of Daytons health care industry. Home care companies are growing to meet the demands of an aging population that prefers to stay in their homes as long as possible, and a population thats aging fast. Patient volumes at local home care companies have grown 40 to 60 percent since 2009, a previous Dayton Daily News analysis found.

This is Black Stones 10th acquisition since 2007, but its first acquisition of a company thats not directly in the home care business.

Health care is changing and we want to part of the change, said David Tramontana, Black Stone chief executive officer.

New health care initiatives are focused on cutting costs and improving quality. For example, hospitals Medicare reimbursement rates are now penalized for high readmission rates of patients with certain conditions. Ohio next year will start a new program to coordinate Medicare and Medicaid coverage for people eligible for both programs, typically low income seniors.

Were trying to position Black Stone to be a value proposition for our patients and for those who pay for our services, Tramontana said.

Advanced Geriatrics six employees will join the 1,300 employees company-wide who work at Black Stone. The acquisition price was not disclosed.

Advanced Geriatric, founded in 2008, has offices in Loveland and the Dayton area. The new division with Advanced Geriatric will be called House Calls by Black Stone.

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Black Stone acquires primary care practice