Purchasing the clinics is a no brainer, if it has doctor's working there WELL has a proven ability to turn them more profitable with their tech.
Things like AI to answer phone calls, book appointments, enter in data, record encounter notes,confirm appointments, send prescriptions, verify referrals ect ect all means less people.
Back in my day, in my experience as a clinic technician, there were receptionists who were just calling people to confirm their appointments, a receptionist entering in data, a receptionist who would call specialists and verify they received the referral, these are all automated now with WELL based apps which is why I first invested in WELL. Doctors no longer want to own their own clinics, they hate having to hire, account for, purchase inventory, pay insurance, get legal teams, ect they want to be a doctor and that's what WELL has done. They allow doctors to be doctors.
What I noticed though is that WELL already has integration with MCI's KHURE platform
https://apps.health/featured/khure-health/
WELL has 4300 doctors currently using their services as per May 2023:
https://www.ontariomd.ca/emr-certification/omd-certified-emrs-numbers/vendor-reported-numbers-physicians-and-nps
Where MCI doesn't have this relation with doctors. This means WELL stands a better chance at selling this product to their clientbase.
I'm sure that WELL has done it's own DD and tried their product at their own clinics first to prove that it works and that it's useful before going and purchasing pieces of the company.
I can't say this was a smart play as it does seem risky but WELL has taken a few risks, looks at CRH which stock dipped and people though was a terrible purchase due to the bad NR they received, then WELL turned it around and that company is prospering.
I agree, do your own DD and make your own opinions, my opinion is that WELL not only owns many clinics but owns software companies which thousands of doctors use day to day which gives them a much larger foot in the door to be able to sell these products which other clinics may have trouble doing.