IPC the Hospitalist Co., North Hollywood, Calif., has expanded into its 28th state with the acquisition of Elder Medical Services, whose doctors and nurse practitioners serve as the primary caregivers to residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in Buffalo and Syracuse, N.Y. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Dr. Stephen Evans, founder and co-owner of Elder Medical, will stay aboard as an IPC practice-group leader, according to a news release. "Our post-acute hospitalists look forward to accessing IPC's management capabilities, recruiting resources and performance-monitoring systems in order to better serve our facilities in the Buffalo and Syracuse communities," Evans said in the release.

The acquisition of Elder Medical, based in Cheektowaga, N.Y., is expected generate about 70,000 post-acute patient encounters annually for IPC.

This summer, IPC expanded into New Mexico and acquired additional practices in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.