Clinic Opens in Kyoto’s Gion to Address Healthcare Shortage; Succession Difficulties a Common Issue – Asahi Shimbun

The news of a new clinic opening in Kyoto's Gion might seem like positive news for enhancing regional healthcare, but it is underpinned by the deep-rooted issue of successor shortages facing the medical industry.

Particularly for small clinics and medical practices that have traditionally served local communities, the aging of physicians and the lack of successors are becoming critical, pushing many institutions to the brink of closure. While the new opening in Gion aims to address healthcare gaps, the method of establishment and its future succession plans are points of interest from the perspective of medical M&A and business succession.

If the new clinic's establishment was achieved through the succession or M&A of an existing medical institution, it could serve as an effective model for resolving successor issues. For instance, a clinic on the verge of closure could be acquired, with a new physician taking over the facilities and licenses, while modernizing the medical services and management approach. This not only ensures the continuity of regional healthcare but also holds potential for new job creation and diversification of medical services.

For medical institution managers and those concerned about successor issues, it is crucial to consider not only "closure" due to a lack of successors but also a "new start" through "business succession" or "M&A." Especially for medical corporations, complex schemes unique to them (e.g., transfer of equity interests, change of members) and multifaceted evaluations of medical profits, fixed assets, licenses, staff, and patient base are critical to the success of succession. Early engagement and collaboration with experts to develop an optimal succession plan tailored to the institution's specific characteristics are key to preserving regional healthcare and achieving sustainable management.