The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) acquired the real estate and operations of skilled nursing facilities in Utah and Alabama. Meanwhile, Blueprint facilitated the sale of properties in Colorado and Kentucky.

Ensign expands footprint

Ensign announced Monday that it acquired the real estate and operations of seven skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in Utah and one in Alabama.

The real estate was acquired by subsidiaries of Standard Bearer Healthcare REIT, Inc., Ensign’s captive real estate company, and all seven facilities will be operated by Ensign affiliated operators.

“We have admired Stonehenge for many years and are honored to continue their legacy as one of the top providers in the State of Utah,” CEO Barry Port said in a press release. “This strategic acquisition adds high quality, newer constructed properties to our existing footprint in a very important state for us. The locations are a perfect fit with our existing clusters and introduce us into a few new markets. We are also thrilled to add these assets to Standard Bearer’s growing real estate portfolio”, he added.

Steve Farnsworth, President of Milestone Healthcare LLC, Ensign’s Utah-based subsidiary, said, “We are so excited to work with the staff, residents, and the families at each of these locations. We are confident that there are many things we can learn from the amazing group of caregivers already present in these operations. We look forward to combining our deep bench of talented resources with the amazing talent in these operations and will strive to provide top-notch services to each of these communities for decades to come.”

The Utah SNFs acquired are as follows:

• Stonehenge of American Fork, a 90-bed skilled nursing facility located in American Fork, Utah;
• Stonehenge of Cedar City, a 50-bed skilled nursing facility located in Cedar City, Utah;
• Stonehenge of Ogden, a 52-bed skilled nursing facility located in Washington Terrace, Utah;
• Stonehenge of Orem, a 34-bed skilled nursing facility located in Orem, Utah;
• Stonehenge of Richfield, a 30-bed skilled nursing facility located in Richfield, Utah;
• Stonehenge of South Jordan, a 32-bed skilled nursing facility located in South Jordan, Utah; and
• Stonehenge of Springville, a 50-bed skilled nursing facility located in Springville, Utah.

In a separate transaction on the same day, Ensign announced it acquired the operations of The Health Center of Eastview, a 90-bed skilled nursing facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. 

The facility will be operated by an Ensign affiliated operator and is subject to a long-term triple net lease.

These acquisitions bring Ensign’s growing portfolio to 369 health care operations, which includes 47 senior living operations, across 17 states. Ensign subsidiaries, including Standard Bearer, own 155 real estate assets.

Port reaffirmed that Ensign is actively seeking opportunities to acquire real estate and to lease both well-performing and struggling skilled nursing, senior living and other health care related businesses throughout the United States.

Ensign’s independent operating subsidiaries provide a broad spectrum of skilled nursing and senior living services, physical, occupational and speech therapies and other rehabilitative and health care services at 369 health care facilities in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.

Dwight Capital and Affiliates Provide $284M in Financing

Dwight Capital, its affiliate REIT, Dwight Mortgage Trust (DMT), and Dwight Healthcare Funding (DHF) provided a combined $284 million in seniors housing financings during the third quarter of 2025. The transactions included a mix of HUD, bridge, and revolving line of credit financings across 14 states.

Featured transactions include a $26 million HUD refinance closed by Dwight Capital for Advanced Center for Nursing and Rehab, a 226-bed SNF located in New Haven, CT. Proceeds will refinance existing debt and fund capital improvements to enhance resident care and facility operations.

Additionally, DMT provided a $24.5 million bridge loan to support the acquisition of a three-property, 261-bed, SNF portfolio located in Bossier City and Oak Grove, LA. To complement the bridge execution, DHF supplied a $5.5 million working capital line of credit to bolster operational liquidity and capital needs.

SNF sold in Colorado

Blueprint successfully advised a private real estate investment group on the sale of a vacant, previously suboptimal performing, SNF in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Following the facility’s closure and brief vacancy, Blueprint’s Behavioral Health and Seniors Housing teams collaborated to deploy a dual-path marketing strategy, targeting both traditional post-acute buyers and emerging behavioral health care operators seeking market expansion opportunities in Colorado.

Recognizing the facility’s favorable building layout and attractive reimbursement landscape, Blueprint identified the property as a prime conversion candidate for a residential substance use disorder treatment facility.

Multiple qualified purchase offers were received from both seniors and behavioral health care investors and providers. With two distinct behavioral offers exceeding the seniors offers, ownership elected to further evaluate the behavioral health care buyers and ultimately selected an owner/operator that Blueprint has closed with previously.

In addition to maximizing proceeds for the seller, Blueprint facilitated a smooth transaction process, assisting both parties in navigating behavioral health care zoning and licensing considerations unique to Colorado’s regulatory environment.

Standalone SNF and ALF sold in Kentucky

Blueprint helped facilitate the sale of a standalone SNF and assisted living facility in Central Kentucky.

The Villages of Lebanon is a 64-bed Skilled Nursing Facility and 29-unit Assisted Living community located approximately 1.5 hours south of Louisville in Lebanon, Kentucky. The property was owned and operated by a local family with deep ties to the area.

Benefiting from favorable Medicaid reimbursement tailwinds, the facility realized strong per-diem rate increases following Kentucky’s July 1, 2024 rebasing, further enhancing operational performance and market appeal.

Blueprint’s marketing process generated multiple competitive offers, ultimately selecting an experienced owner/operator group with existing ties to the region as the buyer.

Despite a brief lender-driven closing delay, the transaction successfully closed at the end of September 2025. This sale represented the family’s final facility in the state, marking a thoughtful and collaborative transition guided by Blueprint from start to finish.