HEALTHCARE INFLUENCER: Anchor Health Properties
Established in 1985 as a developer of innovative retail centers, Anchor Health Properties is a national firm that has been devoted exclusively medical facilities for more than 30 years.
Established in 1985 as a developer of innovative retail centers, Anchor Health Properties is a national firm that has been devoted exclusively to the development, management and investment of medical facilities for more than 30 years.
The Charlottesville, VA-based firm’s founders, Lou Sachs and Paula Crowley, began their development careers at the Rouse Co., a national retail center developer. Upon leaving Rouse, the two formed a company based in the tradition of retail customer service—the entity that would become Anchor Health.
Two decades later, it merged with another healthcare company, Brinkman Management & Development. The 2015 deal further strengthened Anchor Health’s full-service platform with expertise in ground-up development, management and leasing, to acquisitions and dispositions. Since then, Anchor Health has continued to grow through diversification of its offerings and expansion of its geographic reach. As 2018 reaches a close, its 12 nationwide offices house 59 employees who work on a portfolio of four million square feet of assets under management, and another 2.5 million square feet under development. And since June 2016, the firm has bought over $900 million worth of MOB assets.
Much of Anchor Health’s success lies with the strategies its leadership has developed and implemented over time. Since joining the company upon its merger with Brinkman, CEO Ben Ochs has put in place a number of growth initiatives, including the launch of a new acquisitions platform. Through early 2018, Anchor Health has closed $500 million in new investments, partnering with public and private equity. He has also led the creation of investment fund vehicles with Chestnut Real Estate Partners and the Carlyle Group.
As chief investment officer, James A. Schmid III oversees the firm’s acquisitions efforts, capital markets activities and investor relationships, while sourcing new development and management opportunities. He joined Anchor Health in 2016 after successfully leading CNL Financial Group’s efforts to build a medical facilities investment platform. Today, CNL Healthcare Properties has some $1.5 billion in assets under management.
While it’s become an institutional quality, full-service healthcare real estate platform, Anchor Health has maintained a small-business mindset, with a team that is known for thinking outside the “medical office box.”