TV doctor became a businessman

The host of the Doctor Myasnikov program on the Russia-1 TV channel and the head physician of the Moscow city hospital No. 71, Alexander Myasnikov, became the owner of the Intermedcenter clinic in Moscow. This is the only medical center that the teledoctor owns directly. Another clinic in the capital, where the doctor’s name is used, belongs to his wife. The TV presenter previously had an attempt to develop multidisciplinary franchise clinics, but the project did not work. Affiliate programs in the segment of medical centers are not in high demand, as, according to experts, they require large investments and experience.

TV presenter Alexander Myasnikov in June became the owner of 100% of the MGMTs Intermedtsentr clinic in Moscow, discovered Kommersant in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. The clinic used the name of the popular TV presenter as its founder before, but he never owned it. The last owner of MGMC Intermedcenter is Ekaterina Sokolova, the wife of Dmitry Klyuev, who in 2003-2005 was considered the beneficiary of the already liquidated Universal Savings Bank. In 2014, the US Treasury included Mr. Klyuev on the sanctions list in the Magnitsky case. In addition, Ekaterina Sokolova is the owner of Invest Service, founded by Dmitry Klyuev.

Branislav Bogunovych, chief doctor of Intermedcenter, specified that the deal was penniless and Mr. Myasnikov became the owner “out of friendship.” The TV presenter “Kommersant” himself did not answer.

Mr. Myasnikov has experience in commercial medicine. In 2002, he became a co-founder (25%) of the American MDM Clinic, in which, as the TV presenter said in an interview with Vademecum, “all the oligarchs that exist, with rare exceptions,” and foreigners were treated.

The clinic has been in existence for six years. In 2007, the Intermedcenter appeared, using the name of Mr. Myasnikov as the founder. The Intermedcenter website emphasizes the connection between the clinics: it says that the MDM American Clinic has been renamed Intermedcenter. Branislav Bogunovych denies the connection between the projects, but clarifies that Alexander Myasnikov was “directly involved in the work of both clinics.”

There is also a “Clinic of Dr. Myasnikov” in Moscow. But the TV presenter himself is not among its founders: 65% of the management company belongs to his wife Natalia Myasnikova. The clinic’s revenue in 2021 amounted to RUB 11.4 million. (at Intermedtsentr – 126.7 million rubles). Another medical project of Mr. Myasnikov never received its development. In 2019, the TV presenter announced the launch of a network of mass segment polyclinics, which were supposed to be developed through a franchise. For this purpose, Diagnostics of Doctor Myasnikov LLC was created (Alexander Myasnikov’s share was 25%). But the company never received a license for medical activities, and then was liquidated by decision of the founders.

Development through franchises is not very popular with clinic chains. Large Medsi launched such a program in 2019, which provides for investments from 50 million rubles for partners. along with a lump sum. Within five years, Medsi planned to open 20 clinics, but in three years it found only three partners. The Open Clinic ended its franchise program in 2020, opening only three centers. The Alfa Health Center network reported that they do not plan to open franchise centers.

The launch of multidisciplinary franchise clinics requires large investments, and finding an investor who is ready to invest the required amount was not easy before, but now it is especially difficult, says Franchiza.ru expert Anna Rozhdestvenskaya. According to her, usually those who have experience in the medical business apply for such a franchise, which further narrows the circle of interested people. According to the expert, franchises of specialized clinics are more in demand, for example, dental chains: they require less investment.

Polina Gritsenko