By Vanessa Orr
Now that Cano Health has successfully emerged from bankruptcy, it is well on the way to achieving its ultimate goal—putting the patient first. With a host of new services coming to market and the strength of its team and community, the health system is positioned to move forward in a new and exciting way.
“It’s really uncommon to have the court approve a reorganization plan and to exit bankruptcy on the same day, but that’s what happened on June 28, 2024,” said CEO Mark Kent, FACHE, FACMPE. “I’m very thankful to our advisors, employed physicians, employees, creditors, vendors, and trusted affiliated physician partners for helping us get through this, and I’m proud to say that they can now expect a new Cano Health where our focus is on the patient experience.”
In addition to moving physical and massage therapy in-house, Cano Health has added physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) to its services and enhanced pharmacy services so that patients can get their medications in the medical center at the time of their appointments or provided at home. The company has also expanded the Cano at Home program and Cano Cares program so that patients can interact with the health system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“Patients can receive primary care services from a visiting nurse practitioner in their homes as late as 11 p.m., including on weekends,” said Kent, noting that those with emergency issues should still go to the ER or call 911. “We also have nurse practitioners available by phone until the center opens the next morning; we believe these additions will help our patients along their healthcare journey.”
Patients will also be assigned a care manager, who can help them with questions about prescriptions, follow-up appointments, whether to see a primary care physician or a specialist and more.
“If they have concerns about transportation, we have ancillary services that we can provide, and their care manager can work with them, as well as family members who are assisting in their care,” said Kent. “By providing them with education and opportunities to manage their care, our goal is to educate and empower them—that’s what the new Cano is all about.”
The Cano Team
Kent is especially proud of the Cano staff and its physicians for their loyalty and resilience throughout the bankruptcy process.
“They’ve been through a lot—we spend so much time at work, sometimes even more time than with family members—and it’s easy to get close to your coworkers and very difficult to watch friends like this get let go,” says Kent, noting that Cano has gone from 4,000 employees in 170 locations in multiple states to 2,200 employees in 80 locations in Florida. “As difficult as those choices were to make, they needed to be made. And I’m thankful to our employees for trusting us and remaining with us.”
He added that the health system’s physician partners have also been tremendous in their resolve for caring for patients during the bankruptcy proceedings. “They ensured that patient care was uninterrupted during this time and I am very thankful that they were able to continue doing this, despite the challenges the company faced,” said Kent, noting that the company was fortunate to only spend five months in the bankruptcy process.
Cano Health plans to continue its transformation in 2024, and is tracking ahead of schedule to meet its goals.
“We are at about $280 million of our $290 million cost transformation take-out of the business,” said Kent. “As we look into 2025, we will continue to look at expansion of services and how we grow within the state of Florida with discipline, diligence and in partnership with our health plan payors and partners.
“As we think about opportunities, the care we provide and retention of patients will remain our top priority,” he added. “As my grandfather used to say, ‘I don’t care about what you know until I know that you care.’ Making sure our patients know that we care about them is our priority, not just this year but every year. We’re really looking forward to smart growth in 2025 and beyond.”
