George Contos

Autism providers are navigating rising costs, tighter labor markets, evolving payer expectations and a shift toward value-based arrangements. Scale can help overcome those obstacles, but traditional M&A and private
equity models aren’t the only paths to scaling up. In this session, experts from Inperium will outline an affiliation-based alternative that preserves local identity while unlocking advantages such as capital access, enterprise-level back-office services and innovative technology. Drawing on over 35 transactions and a nonprofit network with almost $1 billion of consolidated revenue, speakers will share examples of how affiliations have stabilized operations, expanded programs, improved recruitment and retention, and accelerated tech adoption, outside of a traditional model.

Presentation Objectives:

Preserve identity, gain scale: Local clinical autonomy with shared services that lower administrative cost and raise quality.

Capital access and technology: Affiliations have unlocked capital and enterprise-level systems that individual providers can rarely access on a stand-alone basis.

Repeatable playbook: Lessons from over 35 affiliations. What works and what to avoid through an integration style that protects mission while adding capacity.