Nurse.com's parent company acquires education leader in assisted living, non-medical home care

In keeping with the company's growth strategy, OnCourse Learning, Nurse.com's parent company, announced the acquisition of the Institute for Professional Care Education, a leader in training and compliance solutions for assisted living communities, home care providers and home health agencies. "As a top provider of training for non-medical home care and assisted living caregivers, IPCed is a welcome addition to our family," said Patrick Sheahan, president and CEO of OnCourse Learning. "This acquisition allows us to build on our strong foundation in healthcare education by expanding our content catalog to meet the training needs of professionals across the provider landscape, in both acute and post-acute care settings." IPCed, based in Vancouver, Wash., was founded in 2003 and has experienced rapid growth, including the acquisitions of Medifecta Healthcare Training in 2012 and the Care and Compliance Group in 2014. With a team of 50 employees, IPCed offers online training for some of the nation's fastest-growing professions, including assisted living administrators and personnel, as well as direct care workers throughout the senior and post-acute industries. OnCourse Learning is the nation's top provider of online training for registered nurses via Nurse.com, a popular hub for nursing news, jobs and education content, and CE Direct, the company's market-leading product platform for hospitals and health systems. "I've always been passionate about education," said Sharon K. Brothers, CEO and co-founder of IPCed. "It is so clear to see the positive outcomes that accompany quality education. IPCed's courses are designed to get people so excited about training that they go back and take more courses without being mandated. OnCourse Learning's focus on content as well as their technology platform will give us opportunities to improve the quality and delivery of our courses and modernize the user experience." OnCourse Learning, which formed in 2007, provides workforce solutions and professional training for the healthcare, financial services and real estate industries. The company offers 30,000 hours of content to 500,000 students annually. IPCed represents the third acquisition for OnCourse Learning in the healthcare training industry since entering the fast-growing vertical with the purchase of Gannett Healthcare Group (Nurse.com), in 2014. Brothers and her husband previously owned assisted-living facilities in Oregon and California. They saw a need for every employee on every shift to get the same level of training. That need spawned the formation of their company, first known as EasyECU Inc., which started with a focus on training leaders then moved to hands-on care providers. "If you want to effect change, you start with leaders," Brothers said. "I know from personal experience that there are a whole lot of people who have found their niche as direct-care workers. It doesn't stop their career ladder. They can continue to grow their skills and knowledge and expertise." "Sharon's three decades of experience and knowledge in the industry have made her a passionate thought leader," Sheahan said. "IPCed's goals align well with OnCourse Learning, and we look forward to helping providers across the country improve patient care through training and education." IPCed, which will continue operations from its Vancouver, Wash., headquarters, offers a series of specialized certifications for caregivers, including dementia care, Parkinson's care, end-of-life care and diabetes care. The company also offers training materials, such as DVDs and care checklists, for family members who provide care to loved ones. OnCourse Learning has more than 300 employees across the country, including at the company headquarters in Wisconsin and offices in Hoffman Estates, Ill., Atlanta and Hunt Valley, Md. OnCourse Learning is a CIP Capital portfolio company. To comment, email [email protected].