Evolution Healthcare was established in September 2011 by Ben Thynne and Andrew Savage.
Evolution began its trans-Tasman journey after it acquired Shellharbour Private Hospital, Sydney Australia and Boulcott Hospital in Wellington, New Zealand the following year.
In 2013 Evolution Healthcare opened South Coast Private Hospital in Australia as a dedicated mental health inpatient facility and later that year, we acquired Canberra and Waratah Hospitals in Australia.
Our investment in New Zealand grew with the addition of Acurity Health Group in December 2015, which owned and operated Wakefield and Bowen Hospitals in Wellington and Royston Hospital in Hawke’s Bay. Boulcott Hospital was sold to allow the purchase to be completed.
Proactive Health, one of New Zealand’s largest teams of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Medical Specialists, Psychologists, Exercise Physiologists, Nurses and Vocational Consultants was added to the group in 2017.
Over 2019 we completed many developments. Bowen Icon Cancer Centre opened its radiation therapy treatment bunker at Bowen Hospital. Wakefield Hospital broke ground in June to start stage one of a full rebuild – what will be a $135m investment into the Wellington region. In Auckland, Evolution with New Zealand Behavioural Health Limited opened their first mental health clinic – Re-centre.
Evolution welcomed Sue Channon as their Chief Executive Officer, to drive the strategic direction of the Group. We committed to a joint venture with eight of Hawke’s Bay leading orthopaedic surgeons to develop Royston Day Surgery, to support the growing demand for day orthopaedic procedures in the region. Acurity Health Group is rebranded to Evolution Healthcare along with all four surgical hospitals.
Throughout 2021 Evolution welcomed many new businesses within the Group, through wholly owned acquisitions and joint venture partnerships. This included wholly-owned purchases of seven locations of Bupa Rehabilitation joining the Group as Evolve Rehabilitation, Birthcare Maternity Hospitals, and Quay Park Specialist Day Hospital. Partnerships included Shore Surgery Specialist Day Hospital, seeing the Groups footprint continue to expand in Auckland. Developments included a new premium mental health service at Waratah Private Hospital, and the completion of Stage One for Wakefield Hospital full redevelopment.
The first half of 2022 Evolution Group continued in its significant investment in healthcare with the expansion of services through seven new operating theatres commissioned, Royston Day Surgery opening, and the partnership of Anglesea Hospital, based in Hamilton, Waikato. Evolution Group also sees a change of owners with QIC, Australian Retirement Trust (ART), and Te Pūia Tāpapa (TPT) joining the Group in 2022 as our long-term owners. We celebrated Wakefield Hospital’s stage one development winning an Award of Excellence at PCNZ Awards in August. We welcomed Proactive and WOHC to our Group as wholly-owned Evolution businesses, providing a nationwide network of physiotherapy and workplace health services.
Evolution welcomed a new Group CEO, Associate Professor Simon Keating. The first half of 2023, Evolution Healthcare sold Waratah Private Hospital in Sydney, Australia and towards to the end of the year we purchased ABI Rehabilitation (“ABI”). ABI is an intensive, residential and community rehabilitation provider across the North Island of New Zealand.
Evolution Care Pathways was launched. An ACC approved supplier of an integrated service that supports people recover from musculoskeletal injuries to shoulder, knee and lower back.
Scott Pickering, former CEO of ACC and Executive Director with IAG, Fidelity Life and formerly Kiwibank joined Evolution Healthcare as Chairperson of the Board.