diversification into cardiology practices

DCA ACQUIRES STRATEGIC INTEREST IN CARDIOLOGY GROUP
December 6 2004 Sydney: DCA Group Ltd (ASX : DVC) today announced the acquisition of an
approximate 33% interest in HeartCare Partners, a comprehensive cardiology practice primarily
based at the Wesley Hospital, Brisbane.
Mr David Vaux, Managing Director of DCA said, “HeartCare Partners is a very well established and
managed practice enjoying strong growth prospects. Most importantly, the cardiologists are
committed to core values based on clinical independence, local doctor led management and a
collegiate culture as is the case in our successful diagnostic imaging business.”
Chairman of HeartCare Partners, Dr Geoffrey Holt, said that DCA were the obvious partner for us
as a specialist group interested in delivering a premium patient care model.
“Through collaboration with DCA’s diagnostic imaging network, I-MED/MIA, we are already
enhancing our capability to better service local and regional patients and their referring doctors”,
Dr Holt said.
Dr Paul Davis, a DCA director who will be appointed to the HeartCare Partners Board, said “In
recent years there has been significant growth in both cardiac CT and MR diagnostic imaging.
These sophisticated techniques, together with our nationwide specialist network, create an
excellent platform from which to develop a better model for patient care.”
I-MED/MIA already has a joint venture with the Adelaide Cardiology Group (Adelaide Cardiac
Imaging) where radiologists and cardiologists work in collaboration to provide cardiovascular
imaging with multi-slice CT and MRI.
Background to HeartCare Partners
• HeartCare Partners was founded in 1993 and provides a comprehensive suite of consulting,
diagnostic testing and procedural cardiology services.
• The practice group has 5 consulting and testing facilities run by 10 cardiologists, including the
key Wesley Hospital site in Brisbane where I-MED/MIA’s Southernex practice group is also
located. HeartCare conducts extensive regional clinics throughout coastal and rural
Queensland.
• Group Revenue is forecast to reach approximately $10m for FY05e.
• Revenue is derived from consulting, procedural work and diagnostic testing.
• HeartCare and I-MED/MIA have direct exposure to the burgeoning national crisis of
cardiovascular disease, representing approximately 11% of total allocated health system
expenditure (AIHW, 2004). 1 in 2 males and 1 in 3 females over 40 years develop
cardiovascular disease in Australia.
Further information:
David Vaux, Managing Director
DCA Group Limited
Tel : (02) 8270 5000