In a landmark move within the telemedicine industry, SOC Telemed announced on Thursday its acquisition of Forefront Telecare, a leading company specializing in behavioral health telemedicine services. This strategic acquisition not only broadens SOC’s existing portfolio but also solidifies the combined entity’s commitment to expanding behavioral telehealth services across the country. The newly merged company will now operate under the brand name Access TeleCare, symbolizing a fresh chapter aimed at improving access to specialty care for patients nationwide, regardless of their location.
SOC Telemed: A Leader In Specialty Acute Care Telemedicine
Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, SOC Telemed has grown to become the largest national provider of specialty acute care telemedicine. With a network supporting over 2,500 active telemedicine programs, SOC’s reach extends across hospitals in every state in the U.S., covering 10 distinct medical specialties. The company’s services range from critical care and cardiology to infectious diseases, maternal-fetal medicine, and behavioral health, emphasizing its dedication to delivering comprehensive specialty care remotely.
SOC’s innovative telemedicine solutions are not limited to hospitals; they also serve long-term care facilities, home health agencies, and physician practices. This broad service footprint demonstrates SOC’s commitment to meeting the complex needs of the healthcare system by delivering timely and expert specialty care virtually, which is often critical in underserved or rural areas where access to specialists is limited.
Forefront Telecare’s Role In Behavioral Telehealth Services
Forefront Telecare, based in Hamilton, New Jersey, has distinguished itself as a specialist provider of behavioral telehealth services, targeting seniors and other high-risk patient populations with mental health challenges. Forefront’s clinical team is comprised of over 400 dedicated professionals, including psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers. This robust team allows Forefront to offer a full continuum of behavioral health services through virtual care.
The rapid adoption of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated Forefront’s growth. By the first quarter of 2021, Forefront was conducting more than 10,000 behavioral telehealth visits per month, underscoring the immense demand for virtual mental health care services. Their focus on behavioral telehealth services has allowed many patients to continue receiving essential care during a time of heightened mental health needs and limited in-person access.
Expanding Behavioral Telehealth Services Through Acquisition
Dr. Chris Gallagher, CEO of Access TeleCare, explained that the acquisition of Forefront Telecare marks a natural evolution of their existing partnership, which had been active for several years. “This acquisition expands our behavioral health provider network by over 300%, allowing us to offer more comprehensive behavioral telehealth services to hospitals, long-term care facilities, and patients across the country,” said Gallagher.
Forefront CEO Rob Rebak expressed enthusiasm for joining forces with SOC Telemed. “By aligning with the largest provider of acute care telemedicine in the U.S., we can significantly scale our behavioral telehealth services and contribute more effectively to addressing the nationwide behavioral health crisis,” he said. Moving forward, Rebak will report directly to Gallagher, signaling close integration between the two leadership teams.
Why Behavioral Telehealth Services Matter Now More Than Ever
The United States is facing a behavioral health crisis, marked by increasing rates of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and other mental illnesses. Compounding this problem is the persistent shortage of behavioral health providers, especially in rural and underserved communities. Traditional models of care have struggled to meet the growing demand, creating significant barriers to timely and effective treatment.
This is where behavioral telehealth services play a transformative role. By leveraging technology, these services remove geographic and transportation barriers, enabling patients to access high-quality behavioral health care from the comfort and privacy of their homes. Telehealth also offers increased flexibility, reducing wait times and allowing for more frequent follow-ups or crisis interventions.
Combining SOC Telemed’s extensive acute care telemedicine network with Forefront Telecare’s specialized behavioral health expertise creates a powerful platform for delivering scalable, patient-centered behavioral telehealth services nationwide. This integration allows Access TeleCare to offer a full spectrum of mental health care remotely, including psychiatric consultations, therapy, crisis management, and ongoing care coordination.
A Year Of Growth And Transformation For Access TeleCare
The acquisition and rebranding to Access TeleCare come at a pivotal time for SOC Telemed. Earlier in 2024, Patient Square Capital completed its acquisition of SOC Telemed for approximately $304.2 million, taking the company private and delisting it from the Nasdaq exchange where it had traded under the symbol “TLMD.” SOC’s public listing began in late 2020 through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), reflecting its rapid expansion in the telemedicine space.
SOC’s growth has been fueled in part by strategic acquisitions, including the purchase of Access Physicians in 2021, which expanded its clinical network significantly. SOC’s revenues surged 63% in 2021, reaching $94.4 million, signaling robust demand for its services. Forefront Telecare complements this trajectory, having raised $16 million in investment capital from notable backers such as Ziegler Link-Age Funds, Tech Council Ventures, Boston Millennia Partners, and Spring Lake Equity Partners, which has supported its expansion in behavioral telehealth services.
The Future Of Behavioral Telehealth Services At Access TeleCare
The newly formed Access TeleCare is committed to ensuring that every patient, no matter where they live, has timely access to specialized care. The expansion of behavioral telehealth services is a cornerstone of this mission. By integrating SOC’s vast telemedicine infrastructure with Forefront’s behavioral health expertise, Access TeleCare aims to address the urgent mental health needs confronting patients nationwide.
Healthcare providers—hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient clinics—will benefit from Access TeleCare’s enhanced network, improving care coordination and reducing the need for costly patient transfers. Patients, in turn, will experience greater convenience, privacy, and quality through accessible virtual behavioral health visits.
Behavioral telehealth services also reduce stigma around seeking mental health care by allowing individuals to engage with clinicians discreetly and on their own terms. This improved access and flexibility ultimately lead to better patient outcomes, which is the driving goal behind Access TeleCare’s expanded offerings.
Conclusion
The acquisition of Forefront Telecare and the rebranding to Access TeleCare represent a significant milestone in the evolution of telemedicine. By merging two leaders in acute care and behavioral health telemedicine, Access TeleCare is setting a new industry standard for comprehensive, integrated virtual care.
As demand for behavioral telehealth services continues to rise, Access TeleCare’s expanded capabilities and provider network will be critical to addressing the growing behavioral health crisis in the United States. This partnership underscores the vital role telemedicine plays in creating more equitable, accessible, and high-quality healthcare for all patients, wherever and whenever they need it.
