Two industry leaders in financial management services to long-term care facilities in the Midwest have joined forces to expand their reach nationwide and integrate a wide array of consulting and 
compliance services.
HW&Co.’s combination with ECS Billing and Consulting South, Inc. (dba ECS Solutions), a provider of billing, revenue cycle management and consulting services to the skilled nursing, home health and hospice markets, signifies the firm’s deepening commitment to the long-term care industry.
As a combined entity, HW&Co. and ECS Solutions will provide integrated financial, accounting and consulting services to long-term care providers across the Midwest and beyond. The companies’ merger, announced on June 1, 2023, makes the combined entity one of the largest accounting and advisory firms serving the long-term care market.
“Together, HW&Co. and ECS Solutions will offer comprehensive services nationally to senior living providers as their billing and financial management challenges become ever more complex,” said HW&Co. President and CEO Brandon Miller, CPA, CGMA.
According to Cindy Dunne, president of ECS Solutions, “When thinking about what was next for ECS, we wanted to partner with a firm with similar values of how it treats its people and serves its clients. HW&Co. fits that bill for us. Having been in the industry together for over 25 years, we feel a great deal of comfort and confidence in teaming up with HW&Co, knowing that we can be stronger together. Combining our operations allows us to continue to grow and provide the highest level of service and quality to our clients.”
The combination of the two firms signifies the need for financial consulting excellence as challenges faced by the long-term care industry mount. Changes in funding sources and rules for billing claims can occur rapidly, and finance staff find difficulty in keeping up with changes as they balance daily workloads.
Commitment to the Long-term Care Industry
Both HW&Co. and ECS Solutions have served the long-term care industry for more than 20 years and have skills and resources that complement each other. The business combination will have a staff of 40 to provide expanded services, effectively offering long-term care facilities a single resource for end-to-end financial management. ECS Solutions will retain its name and do business as a division of HW&Co.
In addition to strengthening existing services such as Revenue Cycle Consulting, A/R Aging Review, Back Billing, Collections, Compliance and Medicaid Eligibility and Application Review, HW&Co.’s business combination with ESC Solutions will significantly expand Asset Search and Evaluation services.
Additionally, they will continue to strengthen existing services such as Software Training and Implementation, Healthcare Financial Consulting, Valuation, Merger & Acquisition Consulting, Outsourced CFO services and Staffing.
History of the Firms
ECS Solutions is a family business founded in 1993 by President Cindy Dunne’s mother, Elaine Hunt. Dunne and her sister, Sarah Hanna parlayed their experience managing the family nursing home, durable medical equipment and pharmacy companies into a business supporting long term care organizations. Over 30 years, ECS has built a strong reputation for client service.
HW&Co. began serving the long-term care industry more than 20 years ago and has grown into an industry leader in healthcare consulting and financial advisory services. The firm is known for a high degree of integrity and client service, with a recent survey of the firm’s clients in all business segments yielding a score of 89 out of 100.
“We are very excited to continue the expansion of our healthcare practice and serve the long-term care industry,” said Barbara Notardonato-Cole, principal at HW Healthcare Advisors. “The combination with ECS Solutions will help us better serve clients throughout the country and provide high-quality services to clients across the country.”
