Bottom Line: How One CFO’s Retail, Hospitality Background Led to Skilled Nursing Turnaround Success

Robert Specht had spent years at the financial helm of companies in a variety of spaces, but he was a post-acute and long-term care newcomer when he accepted a crash course in the business: a consulting position for a 33-building senior housing and care chain in receivership. Working with Health Dimensions Group, the provider and […]

After 50 Years, PruittHealth Looks to the Future with I-SNP — and Staff Development Strategies from Disney

PruittHealth spent 2019 celebrating its 50th anniversary in the post-acute and long-term care space, but second-generation CEO Neil Pruitt, Jr. says his company — along with the rest of the industry — must focus on novel and creative strategies for surviving into the future. Pruitt sees potential in a variety of forward-thinking initiatives, from the […]

Amid Dropping Utilization, Lowest-Performing Nursing Home Margins Fell to -10.2% in Mass.

Massachusetts has been at the forefront of nursing home stress over the last few years, and a new government report illustrated a host of negative statistics — from cratering utilization to median margins as low as -10% for the worst-performing properties. In terms of total resident days, nursing facility utilization in Massachusetts dropped 5.4% between […]

Credit, Lease Defaults Send 14-SNF Cornerstone Healthcare into Bankruptcy

An operator with several skilled nursing facilities in the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing issues with its secured debt and — in chorus with other bankrupt operators across the country — problems with its leases. Cornerstone Healthcare Services operates 14 SNFs in the states of Washington, […]

Nursing Home Dialysis Demand Drives Post-PDPM Push to Specialty Services

Dialysis services have recently been highlighted as a major growth area under the new Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) — both financially and clinically — especially as reimbursements are recalibrated for higher acuity patients. In July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rolled out the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Treatment Choices (ETC) model, […]

Dycora Facility in Receivership to Close Next Year as Wisconsin Nursing Home Closures Continue

The state of Wisconsin was notified Friday that a skilled nursing facility formerly operated by Dycora Transitional Health and Living — and currently in receivership — will be closing next year. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported the news. The state Department of Health Services had previously approved the SNF’s relocation plan for residents. The […]

HCR ManorCare Helps Alleviate $102.8M Loss at ProMedica’s Insurance Arm

After the non-profit ProMedica Health System took over the operations of HCR ManorCare in a blockbuster deal last year, the skilled nursing entity continues to help improve the system’s shaky financial results. The Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica reported an operating loss of $102.8 million for its ProMedica Insurance Corporation arm for the nine-month period ending September […]

Why the Median Skilled Nursing Margin Fell Below 0% — and How Operators Can Come Up from Underwater

Earlier this fall, a decades-old annual survey of nursing home finances revealed that for the first time, the median operating margin for the nation’s skilled nursing facilities fell below zero. While the statistics from consulting firm CLA weren’t necessarily surprising, given the micro- and macro-level challenges facing nursing home operators over the last decade, that […]

Skilled Nursing Admissions Drop Across the Country as Home Health Discharges Pull Ahead

In another sign of the shifting paradigm in post-acute care, home health agencies beat out the skilled nursing setting as the most likely post-acute referral destination — while SNF admissions dropped in all 50 states from last year. That’s according to the 2019 Industry Trend Report from Trella Health, which analyzes Medicare Part A and […]

Genesis Reiterates PDPM Optimism, Cautious Hope for National Medicaid Upswing

Executives at the largest skilled nursing operator in the U.S. on Wednesday reiterated their optimism about the impact of the new Medicare reimbursement system on their businesses — and expressed some hope that Medicaid payments nationally might start to improve. “I think we’ve got terrific visibility now on PDPM, and so on the Medicare side […]

Early PDPM Claims Data Reveals Far More Winners Than Losers, ‘Impossible Combinations’ of Conditions

The first round of claims data under the new Medicare payment model for nursing homes shows that the majority of operators are seeing reimbursement boosts — while some are also making key billing mistakes that could result in missed payments for certain services. The average skilled nursing facility saw Medicare reimbursements of $614.96 per patient […]

Strawberry Fields’ $3.15M Skilled Nursing Buy, Capital Funding’s Bridge Loan for Six Illinois Facilities

Strawberry Fields REIT this week announced the $3.15 million acquisition of The Waters of Muncie, a skilled nursing facility in Muncie, Ind. The all-cash deal for the 72-bed facility now brings the real estate investment trust (REIT) to 74 nursing homes, a spokesperson for Strawberry Fields told SNN. “The Waters of Muncie is a well-located […]

Citing Quality Concerns, Senators Demand Answers from Major Private Equity Owners of Nursing Homes

The structure and finances of private equity investors in the skilled nursing space have come under the federal microscope, with two U.S. senators and a U.S. representative demanding answers from four major firms about their investment in nursing homes. Presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren, along with Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Mark Pocan, sent strongly-worded […]

SNFs Appear to Have Gamed the System When Staffing Was Self-Reported

The federal government has spent the last few years focusing on staffing as a key area of improvement for nursing homes, requiring operators to provide payroll-based evidence of their labor hours and tightening the requirements for achieving the top scores — all based on the assumption that there’s a direct line between staffing and quality. […]

Nursing Home Receivership Raises Concerns Over Shortage of Respiratory Beds

One of two skilled nursing facilities in Connecticut with a respiratory unit was placed into voluntary receivership on November 5, raising concerns about access to such care in the state. The Republican-American first reported the news over the weekend. The state Department of Social Services (DSS) placed Waterbury Gardens for Nursing and Rehabilitation under the […]

94% of Seniors Satisfied with Medicare Advantage — But Many Still Don’t Know About Managed Care

Medicare Advantage, a frequent source of headaches for skilled nursing operators, remains overwhelmingly popular among seniors, according to a new poll — and its growth has come even as many enrollees remain unaware of their options when they turn 65. About 94% of seniors with Medicare Advantage plans reported being “satisfied,” a poll commissioned by […]

Foundations Health Sees Direct Connection Between Skilled Nursing Growth, Employee Retention

Staffing struggles are nothing new for skilled nursing operators, but one provider in Ohio specifically credits investments in staffing and culture for its recent growth. Foundations Health Solutions, a skilled nursing and physical therapy company that operates 57 properties across Ohio, has boosted margins and expanded its footprint by streamlining the relationships between corporate, clinical, […]