Alta Rehab Buys Three Skilled Nursing Facilities in Chicago; Ensign Expands in Tennessee, Nevada

The Ensign Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ENSG) announced acquisitions of two skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) on Monday. TriState Health and Rehabilitation Center, a 116-bed skilled nursing facility, is located in Harrogate, Tennessee. In a parallel transaction on the same day, Ensign also bought Hearthstone Health and Rehabilitation, a 125-bed skilled nursing facility located in Sparks, Nevada, […]

Ensign CEO: Efforts to Strike Down CMS Staffing Rule Appear ‘Futile’ – But It Can Be Shaped

Nursing home industry stakeholders should try to shape the proposed federal minimum staffing policy to best fit with what providers can handle rather than railing against the rule completely. At least that’s what leaders of the Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) plan to do, CEO Barry Port said during the company’s third quarter earnings call on […]

Sabra CEO: Reimbursement Hikes May Be Even Bigger Next Year to Account for Inflation 

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 […]

Ensign CEO Expects a Long Comment Period for Potential Minimum Staffing Mandate as Company Focuses on Deals, Retention

Nursing home operators can expect a long comment period once the federal minimum staffing mandate comes out, potentially drawing out into the following year before anything is finalized. Barry Port, CEO of the Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG), said during the company’s second quarter conference call on Friday, that this is the tiniest bit of clarity […]

Ensign Going ‘Up the Acuity Chain,’ Expects Medicaid Support for Soft Landing as PHE Ends 

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 Sells ‘Sizable’ SNF Portfolio at $200K Per Bed, Discloses $185M in Recent Proceeds 

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 […]

REIT Moves Drive a Reordering of the Skilled Nursing Operator Landscape

Skilled nursing operators should anticipate further distress in the coming months and into 2023, which will likely result in even greater divides among providers. The winners and losers already are being sorted, as the latest round of real estate investment trust (REIT) earnings made clear. And unsurprisingly, strong regional operators are leading the pack. Welltower […]

Ensign Leaders on Acquisition Strategy, Tripledemic Demands, PHE Relief

As one of, if not the largest nursing home operator in the country, The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) has quickly filled turnaround properties with a robust talent pipeline – including having 30 to 40 administrators-in-training at all times – despite a historic staffing shortage. Leadership also delved into why the Texas Medicaid rate is such […]

Sabra CEO: North American Portfolio Transition to Ensign, Avamere is ‘Best Possible Outcome’

Nursing home operators continue to reevaluate their position at this stage of the pandemic, as the industry continues to tackle a historic workforce shortage – some, like North American Health Care Inc., have decided to downsize in order to better manage existing properties. This shift to a more conservative strategy serves as the backdrop to […]

Sabra Shifts 24-Facility North American Portfolio to Ensign, Avamere

Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) is divvying up a 24-property portfolio previously leased to North American Health Care Inc. to The Ensign Group and Avamere Family of Companies. Both existing tenants, Ensign (Nasdaq: ENSG) will now become one of the real estate investment trust’s (REITs) largest tenants — representing about 8% of annualized cash […]

‘The Haves and Have Nots’: Omega Closely Monitors Moves to Make Medicaid Rate Bumps Permanent

Nursing home sector leaders and financial backers are basing their future plans heavily on Medicaid rate increases seen across the country, as some states meet the moment with substantial increases to combat inflationary pressures and staffing costs. Others, meanwhile, haven’t increased rates in a meaningful way and have not kept pace with increased costs that […]

Ensign COO: No Slowing Down on Deals as 3Q Marks Busiest Acquisition Quarter in Years

The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) kept busy during the third financial quarter, signing off on a whopping 17 new skilled nursing deals. Ensign COO Chad Keetch told listeners during the company’s latest earnings call on Thursday that it was “one of the biggest” acquisition quarters in several years. The San Juan Capistrano, Calif.-based operator is […]

Nursing Home Industry Recovery Requires More Pain and Innovation

It’s hard to pin down how nursing home operators should be feeling as the end of the year approaches. The best way I could describe it, one week after attending the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) conference in Nashville, is a combination of optimism and pessimism that fluctuates depending on the […]

Odds Are Against Texas Operator Growth As Federal Reforms, Chronic Underfunding Compound

Federal reforms — on top of chronic underfunding in the state — has Texas-based Cascade Health Services fearing that certain facilities will be left at a disadvantage as the operator looks to grow regionally. Permanent Medicaid rate increases could be a start, Cascade CEO Ron Haney told Skilled Nursing News, but facilities in Texas will […]

Ensign Capitalizes on Favorable Medicaid Landscape to Continue Sustainable Growth

The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) is in conversation with small and mid-sized operators at the local and regional level, as the nursing home giant uses its strong capital position and service center resources to scale operations. Ensign executives mentioned such plans at this week’s National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) Fall Conference […]

Medicare Payment Boost a ‘Positive Surprise’ for Invesque, But Portfolio Restructuring Continues

The skilled nursing bump in Medicare rates was a “positive surprise” for leadership at Invesque (TSE: IVQ.U), as most in the industry expected payment rates to decrease heading into next year. Bryan Hickman, senior vice president of investments at Invesque, said the change – in the form of a 2.7% increase to Medicare payment rates, […]

Ensign Ups its Credit Facility to $600M With Growth in Mind; Meridian Sees $1B in Deals for Q1

The Ensign Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ENSG) announced on Tuesday that it increased its credit facility by $250 million, reaching an aggregate of $600 million for the skilled nursing operator. The borrowings are supported by a lending consortium arranged by Truist Securities. The new facility matures on April 8, 2027, and includes a $400 million incremental […]