The private operators have announced the merger of their 35 aged care facilities across metropolitan Melbourne, Phillip Island and Kilmore effective immediately, saying the move will allow the new company to ‘leverage growth and market opportunities’.
BlueCross was founded by David and Cathy Eccles in 1993, while Sapphire Care is headed up by former corporate banker Tony Battle and Ernest Medina, who is also the Managing Director of Sapphire Group Holdings which owns Sapphire Care.
The new organisation now has 2,630 aged care beds under its management, with another 500-plus to become active in the next two years and a home care service with more than 1,000 clients.
They will be led by current BlueCross chief executive Alan Lilly who joined the group in September last year. He says the new entity is committed to becoming a leading provider in the sector.
