Company: Provident Corporate Finance
Company Division/Group: Provident Healthcare Partners
Company Description: Provident Healthcare Partners is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Provident Corporate Finance, LLC, a privately held investment bank with specialties in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, venture capital and equity securities.
Nomination Category: Company, Office & Product Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Overall Company

Nomination Title: Provident Healthcare Partners

Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved in 2003 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Provident Healthcare Partners, LLC has quickly become the leading investment
banking advisor to high growth, middle market corporations in the healthcare
industry. The boutique firm is comprised of senior level healthcare and corporate
finance professionals with extensive transaction experience and unsurpassed
knowledge of the healthcare industry. Provident’s professionals continually find the
best strategic and financial buyers for their clients by matching industry leaders
with promising companies to benefit both parties. This past year demonstrated the
continual achievements of Provident’s ability to maximize value in each transaction
it closed.

Through the utilization of the firm’s unparalleled resources and talent, Provident
successfully completed three major healthcare deals.  In January, Lincare, Inc.
acquired Mid-State Medical Oxygen and Equipment, Inc., the home care division
of Deaconess HomeCare, Inc. This acquisition involved all of Mid-State’s
respiratory and home medical equipment rental business assets and enteral
nutrition business, as well as, the respiratory medication services business and
related assets of Infusion Partners, Inc., a division of Deaconess HomeCare. 
In October, Provident closed the acquisition of Fisher’s Specialized Pharmacy
Services by Medmark, Inc., a newly formed subsidiary of Highmark, Inc.  This
breakthrough in the specialty pharmacy arena proved to be Provident’s most
recognized achievement and earned us the M&A Advisor’s Life Science Deal of
the Year Award.  Due to recent Medicare reform resulting in lower reimbursement
rates, many large scale organizations are increasingly seeking out contractors
such as Medmark to purchase pharmaceuticals. Highmark was among the first to
create a new subsidiary using Fisher’s experience in the market as a platform to
respond to this trend. 

The purchase of Damer & Cartwright Pharmacy, Inc.  and American Medial
Services, Inc. by Henry Schein, Inc. marked Provident’s third deal of 2003.  Henry
Schein is the largest provider of healthcare products and services to office-based
practitioners in the combined North American and European markets. Damer &
Cartwright’s expansive service offerings and AMS’s quality products and strong
customer base, serve perfectly as a platform for Henry Schein’s entry into the
specialty pharmacy market. This unique opportunity for Henry Schein allows them
to immediately benefit from AMS and Damer & Cartwright’s stellar reputation and
history of strong growth.

In addition to successfully closing three high profile industry deals in 2003,
Provident strongly believes that the continuation of success requires
simultaneously excelling not only in the work environment, but in the community
as well.  One of Provident’s major goals was to actively take part in philanthropic
events and contribute to charitable and educational institutions.  Listed below are
some of the activities in which Provident participated:

Charitable Giving      Our Community
o Make-A Wish Foundation    
 Special Olympics
o American Cancer Society – “Relay for Life”  
 Horizons Initiative
o Holy Trinity Armenian Church Golf Tournament  Boston Cares
(Corp. Volunteer Day)
o Home for the Little Wanderers    Big Brother/Big
Sister
o Project Bread

Overall this was an extremely successful year for Provident.  Due to the unparallel
leadership of Provident’s Managing Partner, Bob Ciardi, all major goals were met
and exceeded both in the office and in the community.

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]:

Fisher's SPS is Acquired by Medmark, Inc., a Subsidiary of Highmark, Inc.
www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m4PRN/2003_Oct_3/108470893/p1/article.jhtml

Damer & Cartwright Pharmacy, Inc. and American Medical Services, Inc. have
been acquired by Henry Schein
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/031119/195329_1.html

2003 Merger’s & Acquisitions Advisor Awards
www.maadvisor.com/conference/pressreleasewinners.htm

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:

Mr. Robert Ciardi is a Managing Partner of Provident Healthcare Partners, LLC. 
He has 12 years of investment banking, venture capital and corporate finance
experience.  Mr. Ciardi brings extensive experience as a middle market investment
banker.  Prior to founding Provident Healthcare Partners Mr. Ciardi was Founder,
Managing Partner and Managing Director of the Healthcare Services Practice
Group at Boston Bay Partners, LLC, a Boston-based investment/merchant-
banking firm he co-founded in 1992.  Provident Healthcare Partners acquired the
Healthcare Services Practice Group from Boston Bay Partners in 1998.