Promises Treatment Centers attracts a clientele that pays cash, so its owners say they haven? been hit hard by the downturn. In fact, the centers need to add beds.
So the high-profile addiction treatment program will expand beyond its two L.A. facilities ?its celebrity-frequented center in Malibu and another one in West Los Angeles ?to elsewhere in Southern California and outside the region.
Dr. David Sack, chief executive of parent company Elements Behavioral Health, said the company plans to acquire and remake other residential treatment centers in the Promises image, but also to offer the program? approach to a younger, adolescent demographic.
The expansion has been a slow process because Elements believes that other centers have lost value as their less affluent patients can no longer afford treatment. But current owners don? necessarily agree, making takeover talks difficult.
?his is a good time to do acquisitions if you have the resources,?said Sack, a board-certified psychiatrist who acquired Promises in February 2008 with private equity backing. ?e?e not interested in consolidating as much as offering new services.?p>The Malibu center, which serves about 400 patients a year, is in the process of adding beds, he said. It? become famous for its celebrity clientele ?and their relapses. A 30-day stay costs between $50,000 and $95,000.
The West L.A. residential center offers a lower price point, averaging $38,500, and most often attracts patients between 20 and 35 years old. Both locations treat a variety of alcohol and drug addictions, though Elements is adding programs to treat eating disorders that often also plague its clientele.
Outpatient Space
Two hospitals have opened new outpatient facilities as part of a long-term shift away from having patients spend the night after surgical procedures.
Glendale Adventist Medical Center? new Ambulatory Surgery Center features four operating rooms, a general procedure room, and two private recovery rooms for patients needing extra attention coming out of anesthesia.
Hospital officials expect the $6 million facility, in the basement of the Lee Hughes Medical Building, to increase business because of the easier patient access, registration, and faster turnaround times.
Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital last week opened a clinic in Santa Monica catering to children needing treatment for everything from congenital and developmental disorders such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, to sports medicine treatment of wrist and ankle injuries.
The Arizona Avenue clinic was built with $250,000 from longtime hospital supporter Meyer Luskin, chief executive of Scope Industries, which processes food waste into animal feed.
Staff reporter Deborah Crowe can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 232.
