Vestar Portfolio Company, Veritas Collaborative, Announces Merger with The Emily Program
ST. PAUL, Minn. and DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative, two of the nation's leading eating disorders programs, are proud to announce that they are joining forces in a merger of their two strong organizations. Both programs are known for their warm and authentic care for people of all ages and genders across the array of eating disorders diagnoses and industry-leading support for quality standards. The Emily Program and Veritas will retain their brands in their respective markets across the Northwest, Midwest, and Southeast and remain committed to maintaining the highest clinical integrity and standards of care and expanding access to care. The merger is expected to close within 60 days.
"We are so pleased to be part of growing access to care for individuals and families dealing with these treatable, life-threatening illnesses," said Dave Willcutts, The Emily Program's CEO. "Our two companies together will set the standard for comprehensive care from outpatient through inpatient to equip clients and families with the understanding, interventions, and ongoing support they need to achieve recovery. We believe recovery from these fierce illnesses is rooted in relationships, and we are honored to be a part of people's journey to recovery."
"When we founded Veritas, we were guided by a vision to collaboratively increase access to quality care with unyielding passion, and now Veritas has become a health care system serving patients nationally," said Stacie McEntyre, Veritas' founder and vice chair of the Veritas board. "I am delighted that we've arrived at this exciting moment in our organizations' history — the joining of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program, to combine our passion to bring more care to more people and continue to drive the standard of care in eating disorders treatment. Together, we are stronger."
Dave Willcutts will serve as the CEO of the merged company to be headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Veritas CEO Mike Browder will transition to the board of directors of the merged company. Chris Durbin, chairman of the Veritas board, will serve as chairman for the merged company, and Dirk Miller, founder of The Emily Program, will serve as founding executive chairman.
Collectively, The Emily Program and Veritas currently have 20 locations across Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, with outpatient individual, group, and family services; intensive outpatient programs; partial hospital programs; residential programs; and inpatient care — with various gender-inclusive programs focused on addressing the needs of children, adolescents, and adults.
About The Emily Program
The Emily Program's vision is a world of peaceful relationships with food, weight and body image, where everyone with an eating disorder can experience recovery. The Emily Program, headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, was founded in 1993 by Dirk Miller, Ph.D., L.P., after his sister Emily recovered from an eating disorder. Recognizing that one size does not fit all, The Emily Program provides exceptional, individualized care for people with eating disorders of all ages and genders leading to recovery from eating disorders, incorporating individual, group, and family therapy, nutrition, psychiatry, medical care, yoga, and more — with locations in Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, call 1-888-EMILY-77 or visit emilyprogram.com.
About Veritas Collaborative
Veritas Collaborative, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a national healthcare system for the treatment of eating disorders, with locations in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. Veritas provides a full continuum of care for individuals of all ages, including inpatient, acute residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient care, and multidisciplinary eating disorders (MED) assessment clinics, in a gender-diverse and inclusive environment. Veritas is determined to change the eating disorders field so that all persons with eating disorders, their families, and their communities have access to best-practice care, ongoing support through our alumni and family advocacy programs, and helpful resources on the journey to recovery. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, call 855-875-5812 or visit veritascollaborative.com.
