HEALTH

MedPartners/Mullikin to Acquire CHS Management: The physician-services management company, moving quickly to expand its presence in the California managed-care market, will acquire privately held CHS Management Inc. for $47 million in stock. The purchase would give Birmingham, Ala.-based MedPartners/Mullikin 114,000 prepaid enrollees in the Los Angeles area and a total of 800,000 enrollees nationally. CHS Management provides management services to two Southland physician groups: Health Source Medical Group, an independent practice association with 68,000 enrollees in West Los Angeles, and Community Medical Group, which has 46,000 enrollees in the San Fernando, Conejo and Simi valleys. In the last five months, MedPartners/Mullikin has used $744 million in stock to acquire Long Beach-based Mullikin Medical Enterprises and Pacific Physician Services.