The nursing home industry has been on a wild ride this past year, with major regulation up in the air and a flip in the White House leaving operators unsure of whether they should applaud or brace for impact. Rhetoric surrounding the federal minimum staffing mandate has changed drastically throughout the year, with leaders condemning […]
Sabra Health Care REIT
In this episode, Skilled Nursing News speaks with Rick Matros, CEO of Sabra Healthcare REIT. Matros, who has served as CEO for Sabra since May 2010, discussed the challenges in skilled nursing financing, why Medicaid rates are expected to remain high through 2025, and the REIT’s focus on innovative providers along with tech pilots to […]
Sabra Healthcare REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) has had several quarters in a row of continuing occupancy and rent coverage improvement in all of its primary asset classes, including skilled nursing, distancing themselves from the pandemic, leaders said. Meanwhile, its investment pipeline is seeing more activity in the past months, with primarily deals of one or two […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Monday unveiled the finalized minimum staffing standards for nursing homes, drawing sharp – and deeply apprehensive – responses from leaders in the sector. CEOs of nursing home owners and operators and leaders of industry associations were all but unanimous in their reactions; among those who spoke […]
During the third quarter of 2023, Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) generated $80 million of gross proceeds from the disposition of 13 skilled nursing and two senior housing facilities. The bulk of dispositions now could be past, industry analysts noted. “While the REIT is still selling some assets, we believe the bulk of the […]
Nursing home occupancy continues to slowly improve, a trend that along with higher reimbursement rates going forward, will improve the bottom line for Sabra Healthcare REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA), according to executives. Rick Matros, CEO of Sabra, said during the company’s second quarter earnings call on Tuesday that he expects a large increase to next year’s […]
As the public health emergency (PHE) comes to an end on May 11, industry leaders point out that nursing home operators are still in pandemic recovery mode, and that adjusting to the old way of doing business will not be easy. The PHE was declared in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and accompanied a wide […]
Ongoing portfolio restructuring suppressed first quarter earnings for Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA), but executives are bullish on improving market conditions and metrics for skilled nursing. “It feels good to at least believe that we’ve gotten the worst behind us, and I really do feel pretty good about things going forward,” CEO Rick Matros […]
Ventas (NYSE: VTR) on Friday announced that it intends to take ownership of the collateral that supports its approximately $486 million cash-pay mezzanine loan to Santerre Health Investors. “Ventas expects to take ownership of the Santerre Portfolio through a ‘loan to own’ structure that converts the outstanding principal amount of the Santerre Mezzanine Loan to […]
The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) is looking to expand into Mid-Atlantic states and cautiously eyeing other opportunities while remaining focused on successfully transitioning recently acquired properties, company leaders said Tuesday. The company recently took over operations of 17 skilled nursing communities (SNFs) in California, as part of a previously announced deal with Sabra Health Care […]
For the last year, federal regulators have taken steps to increase nursing home ownership transparency, as part of the White House’s reform agenda. The most recent actions have centered on more clearly defining different types of ownership groups and making information more consumer-friendly – and have drawn concern and criticism from within the sector. About […]
Executives at Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) said after they close on a couple transactions in the next couple months, “that’ll pretty much be the end” of a capital recycling program they have been pursuing. They anticipate a quiet year on the acquisition front, with debt a constraint, while the skilled nursing environment remains […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Monday a proposed rule to require nursing homes to disclose more information regarding their ownership and management, including information related to assets held by real estate investment trusts (REITs) and private equity firms. Nursing homes will be expected to disclose this information as part of the […]
Following the Biden administration’s plans to end the public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, leaders at Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) are bullish that state assistance will create a soft landing. Ensign CEO Barry Port has seen operators in the sector bolstered by enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funding during the pandemic; this federally […]
Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) on Thursday announced about $185 million has been received in gross proceeds since Sept. 30, 2022, including through a “sizable portfolio” of skilled nursing assets that fetched $200,000 a bed. The previously disclosed sales were “almost entirely comprised of skilled nursing investments,” Sabra said in a statement. The $200,000-per […]
The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) on Wednesday announced that the company is assuming operations of 17 skilled nursing communities in California, as part of a previously announced deal with Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA). That deal involves 20 communities total, which previously were operated by North American Health Care. The properties located in Ensign’s […]
In a move long-awaited by skilled nursing providers, President Joe Biden on Monday announced the public health emergency (PHE) will end on May 11 – a month after the current extension expires. The PHE first was declared in 2020 as Covid-19 was first sweeping across the country and was most recently renewed on Jan. 11, […]
Real estate investment trust (REIT) investment in nursing homes has been linked to an increase in some clinical staff hours per resident day – specifically a 2.15% and 1.55% percent bump in licensed practical nurse (LPNs) and certified nursing assistant (CNAs) hours, respectively. Registered nurse (RN) hours, on the other hand, decreased 6.25% in the […]
The coming year will be “a bit of a slog” for skilled nursing, but operating and financial headwinds should ease over the course of 2023. That’s the viewpoint of Rick Matros, CEO of Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA), which owns 270 skilled nursing and transitional care properties, along with senior living, behavioral health and […]
Economic uncertainty, staffing shortages, looming federal regulations, a new COVID variant and major changes to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) are just a few of the challenges facing the skilled nursing sector at the dawn of 2023. But a new year is also a time for optimism. Favorable Medicaid policies, the growth of strong regional […]