Sule Aygoren Carranzais managing editor ofRealEstate Forum.

NEW YORK CITY-Cushman & Wakefield has formed a formal unitdedicated to firms involved in various sectors of the healthcareindustry. The Healthcare Practice Group will provide services forsenior housing and healthcare investments; hospitals and healthcarepractice groups; healthcare payors, plans, and specialty services;and medical and academic properties.

The creation of the Healthcare Practice Group, says NormanLeZotte, a C&W managing director and co-chair of the HPG, wasactually spurred by its clients. "We had several clients that werein the seniors housing business that we were providing a variety ofservices for," says the Atlanta-based executive, adding that thesefirms were scattered throughout the US and Canada. It was theseclients that brought us the idea of formalizing the services theyalready provide in a group. "Cushman & Wakefield took that ideaand ran with it."