Arlington Heights, Ill. – September 23, 2026 – Endeavor Health and Intent Medical Group (“IMG”) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Endeavor Health will hire IMG physicians to fully integrate services under Endeavor Health Medical Group. The transaction is a significant milestone in a journey for two organizations that have partnered closely since 2022 to build and scale sub-specialty, quaternary neurosciences care.
In 2022, Dr. Julian Bailes, Chair of Neurosurgery at the Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute recruited Dr. Amin Kassam, IMG’s Founder and CEO, an internationally recognized leader in neurosurgery whose three decade vision has reshaped how complex integrated neurological care is delivered with the patient at the center. Dr. Kassam set out to build an integrated neurosciences service line designed to break down the barriers of traditional patient care and transform healthcare. In the years since, he has built exactly that – a program in which patients receive integrated, multidisciplinary care that is compassionate, innovative and evidence-based, guided throughout by a personal touch and genuine human connection. That model has consistently delivered exceptional outcomes and established a new standard for sub-specialty neurosciences care.
Since partnering with IMG, Northwest Community Hospital (NCH) has built one of the most comprehensive sub-specialty neurosciences programs in the region. In three years, the team recruited and integrated 30 physicians spanning nine specialties. More than half of the physicians are recognized as global- or national-caliber clinicians who led tertiary programs before joining IMG. Alongside that clinical depth, IMG and Endeavor Health partnered and stood up the infrastructure of a true destination program guided by Dr. Kassam’s expertise: the system’s first closed neuro intensive care unit, staffed around the clock by onsite neurocritical care attendings with 24/7 in-house attending stroke coverage, a multi-disciplinary integrated tumor board for cranial, head and neck, and spinal oncology, a new adult epilepsy monitoring unit, and dedicated outpatient spine and pain and stroke clinics. IMG’s stroke team led NCH to Comprehensive Stroke Center accreditation and earned Get With The Guidelines: Stroke Gold Plus recognition in both 2025 and 2026.
That investment has established NCH as a genuine quaternary referral destination. IMG has accepted surgical referrals from leading institutions, including major academic centers, as well as internationally. It has also become a destination where the field comes to learn and to build a career: the program trains neurosurgery and neuro-ophthalmology fellows with a deep pipeline of future applicants, has produced a substantial body of research, and its faculty are regularly invited to deliver keynote and named lectures at international neurosciences meetings, from the University of Cambridge’s anatomic lecture series to the Japan Neurological Society in Tokyo.
This clinical and academic growth has translated into measurable impact by serving patients that were often traditionally seen and not treated surgically at other institutions. The program has become a destination for patients with the most complex neurological conditions, delivering advanced care with some of the highest acuity in the state with outcomes among the best in class. That growth has strengthened services across the full care continuum so patients can receive more of their care close to home. It is a model built on a simple conviction: lead with service to patients and community, and lasting value follows.
The acquisition of certain key assets advances Endeavor Health’s strategic commitment to expanding its nationally recognized Neurosciences Institute and strengthens its capabilities in highly specialized care. Since 2022, Endeavor Health and IMG have worked together to bring destination-level neurosciences care to Arlington Heights and greater Chicagoland. Bringing the two organizations together and transitioning providers to Endeavor Health removes any potential boundaries and allows for deeper alignment on program strategy, physician recruitment and retention, and long-term investment in patient care.
Dr. Kassam’s clinical excellence, track record, and administrative vision were foundational to establishing IMG and partnering with Endeavor to build a neurosciences destination site at NCH and positioned NCH as a leader in sub-specialty neurosciences care and his vision and execution exceeded expectations. Having constructed a transformative model in neurosciences, Dr. Kassam has entrusted the care and nurturing of the Advanced Neurosciences program to Endeavor and Dr. Julian Bailes as he now moves forward to continue his mission to transform healthcare through patient service.
A stronger platform for sub-specialty care
The clinical and physician-leadership capabilities will be fully integrated with Endeavor Health’s system resources, clinical footprint, infrastructure and ongoing commitment to providing safe, seamless, personal care to the communities it serves. The intent is to preserve what has made the partnership work while giving physicians and program leaders greater resources and integration with the Endeavor Health Medical Group that will allow the neurosciences program to scale across Chicagoland.
Since 2022, there has been significant momentum for neurosciences at NCH. IMG has been instrumental in recent expansion including the addition at NCH of a dedicated Neuro Intensive Care Unit, a stroke follow-up clinic, an epilepsy monitoring unit and an expanded sleep lab. Additionally, in 2025, Endeavor Health acquired Diamond Headache Clinic to form the Endeavor Health Diamond Headache & Migraine Center, and its neurosciences team is contributing to first-of-its-kind research, including a multi-site trial to diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living patients.
Continuity for patients and physicians
Both organizations emphasized that the evolution is designed for continuity and for access. Existing patient care relationships and commitment to ensuring continued excellence in subspecialty neurosciences care and outcomes will continue. Patients will experience no disruption to their care, while physicians gain the stability and resources of a fully integrated system.
Leadership perspectives
“We welcome IMG’s physicians and programs fully into Endeavor Health. This combination reinforces our commitment to delivering world-class, sub-specialty neurosciences care close to home for the communities we serve — and to giving our physicians the resources and long-term investment to keep building a destination program right here in Arlington Heights.”
“Joining Endeavor Health gives our physicians stability and the resources and infrastructure to keep building a destination neurosciences program; it is a natural next step in a partnership built on shared goals for patients and clinicians.”
“IMG represents the best of sub-specialty medicine. Welcoming its physicians into the Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute strengthens our ability to keep providing the most advanced, sub-specialized neurosciences care to patients across Chicagoland – and to keep building a true destination program right here in Arlington Heights, as envisioned by Dr. Kassam. In addition, advance access to subspecialty neurological care across all of the communities the integrated Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute serves.”
Forward-looking statements: Any statements regarding the expected timing, benefits or completion of the transaction are subject to risks and uncertainties.