Company news
BusinessBriefs for January 2015
January 01, 2015» Walker & Dunlop said a $9.9 million loan for the refinance of Vista Healthcare Center in California has closed. The center has 187 skilled nursing beds. The transaction was processed through the HUD's LEAN program. The borrower, LifeHOUSE Health Services, will be able to pay off existing intra-company debt and take advantage of a long-term sub-4% rate. The loan is "somewhat unique," the firm said, as it carries a one-year lockout period with four years of lower-than-standard prepayment penalties.
Kindred to add 500 jobs in KY
January 01, 2015Kindred Healthcare will expand its headquarters and add about 500 jobs, the company announced in December.
LTC liability costs projected to increase by 5% nationally
January 01, 2015Long-term care providers should prepare for higher liability costs. They are anticipated to increase by 5% on a national basis in 2015, according to a new analysis from the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living and Aon Global Risk Consulting, an arm of insurer Aon plc.
BusinessBriefs for December 2014
December 01, 2014» Omega Healthcare Investors is poised to own nearly 875 skilled nursing properties across 41 states, following its merger with Aviv REIT in a $3 billion deal announced in November. The all-stock deal will create the nation's "premier publicly traded pure-play skilled nursing facility real estate investment trust," the companies stated in joint press releases. The combination of the powerhouse REITs is just the latest mega-deal in the long-term care sector.
Occupancy passes 90%
December 01, 2014Seniors housing stock enjoyed occupancy rates above 90% in the third quarter, the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care announced. Occupancy is up 3.4% since the cyclical low of 86.9% seen in the first quarter of 2010.
Nonprofits need to examine core services, says chairman
December 01, 2014Nonprofit long-term care providers must work together to address alarming trends, or their market share could plummet, LeadingAge Chairman David Gehm told association members.
BusinessBriefs for November 2014
November 01, 2014» Large nonprofit senior living groups continue to be largely the domain of faith-based operators, according to the latest LeadingAge Ziegler 100 report. Presbyterian-, Methodist- and Lutheran-run organizations were the most common, investigators found.
Prospects not well courted
November 01, 2014Many senior living operators could do a better job of attracting potential customers, a study by students at George Mason University has found.
LTC-related deals took the lead in the second quarter
November 01, 2014Long-term care bucked healthcare industry trends with strong merger and acquisition activity in the second quarter, according to newly released data from professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
BusinessBriefs for October 2014
October 01, 2014» Brookdale Senior Living and real estate investment trust HCP have finalized a $1.2 billion joint venture, the firms announced. The new partnership will include 14 continuing care retirement communities in its portfolio. Under the deal, Brookdale and HCP have also amended leases on 202 HCP-owned senior housing communities previously owned by Emeritus Corporation.
SNFs limited in disasters
October 01, 2014Skilled care facilities officially tabbed "alternate care sites" may not be able to take on hospital patient overflow during disasters, according to a report that examines hospital disaster planning.
Genesis, Skilled Healthcare deal forms mega-company
October 01, 2014Genesis HealthCare and Skilled Healthcare Group will merge to create a single company with more than 500 facilities nationwide, the providers announced in late August.
BusinessBriefs for September 2014
September 01, 2014» CNL Healthcare Properties completed the acquisition of seven communities in Texas and one in Illinois for approximately $187.2 million, with potential adjustments related to property net operating income. The eight properties collectively have 798 units and 72 skilled nursing beds. They were acquired from Dallas-based South Bay Partners Ltd.
AdCare shifts business plan
September 01, 2014AdCare Health Systems plans to divest its senior living properties and become a holding company, the firm announced.
Sector's housing stock grows at uneven pace, NIC reports
September 01, 2014Seniors housing stock collectively rose by 0.1% in the second quarter, putting the sector on pace for a 1.5% annual increase, according to new data from the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry.
BusinessBriefs for August 2014
August 01, 2014» Center Management Group of Flushing, NY, will pay $145 million to purchase five nursing facilities and two senior living communities from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The company currently operates 15 nursing facilities across New York and New Jersey. As part of the deal, the buyer has pledged to maintain the Catholic character of the nursing homes.
Hospitalist firm charged
August 01, 2014A hospitalist company that works with thousands of facilities is facing federal charges that its clinicians routinely overbilled Medicare and Medicaid, authorities recently announced.
Skilled care companies seek site-neutral Medicare rates
August 01, 2014Proposed Medicare payment changes have put the nation's skilled care companies at odds with inpatient rehabilitation providers, and the two sides were making strident arguments in front of lawmakers at press time.
Kindred bid more hostile?
July 01, 2014Kindred Healthcare increased its bid for Gentiva Health Services to about $534 million, and plans to take the offer directly to shareholders.
BusinessBriefs for July 2014
July 01, 2014» Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC acquired Keystone Commercial Capital, a commercial mortgage banking company based in Scottsdale, AZ. Keystone services more than $2 billion in commercial real estate loans. Berkadia plans to add 16 employees to its offices.
Ventas' $2.6 billion bid will create healthcare REIT titan
July 01, 2014Real estate investment trust giant Ventas took a huge step in bolstering its private-pay assets when it announced it would acquire American Realty Capital Healthcare Trust for $2.6 billion in cash and stock. The transaction is expected to close later this year.
BusinessBriefs June 2014
June 01, 2014» Four bidders have emerged as finalists to buy Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II Inc., in a transaction that could value the company at more than $3.6 billion.
A new day for Sunrise
June 01, 2014Sunrise Senior Living has promoted Chris Winkle to its top executive post. The firm's former COO replaces Penny McIntyre, who had been on the job for less than six months.
Occupancy, absorption both climb in first quarter: NIC
June 01, 2014Skilled nursing facilities' average occupancy rate continued to rise in the first three months of 2014, while absorption flipped into positive territory for the first time in almost a decade, according to the latest quarterly figures from the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry.
BusinessBriefs May 2014
May 01, 2014» Compass Health has agreed to a $1.1 million settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging that the skilled nursing provider did not pay overtime or allow workers to take needed breaks. The firm operates seven skilled nursing facilities and two assisted living communities in the coastal area between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Value is new SNF mandate
May 01, 2014Long-term care operators will face additional pressure to improve, said William Shrank, Ph.D., chief scientific officer for CVS/Caremark.
Nursing rates and prices hit historic highs, reports show
May 01, 2014The rates nursing home charge and the prices they fetch on the market have hit new highs, reports reveal.
BusinessBriefs
April 01, 2014» Country Villa Health Services, which operates 19 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in California, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Pending class-action lawsuits and cash flow problems led to the filing, chief executive Stephen Reissman told The Wall Street Journal. The company faces seven class action suits, some labor related and some alleging improper care. The company intends to keep its facilities open while it reorganizes.
Ensign split hurts earnings
April 01, 2014The Ensign Group's annual results for 2013 came in just under management's guidance for the first time in the company's history, the provider announced.
Brookdale, Emeritus merger upends status quo, CEO says
April 01, 2014Brookdale Senior Living is poised to become the largest senior living provider in the country, through a $2.8 billion acquisition of Seattle-based Emeritus Corp.
BusinessBriefs
March 01, 2014» Catholic Health will sell three of its seven long-term care facilities to Comprehensive Healthcare Management, according to local reports. A price has not been finalized for the three facilities in the area around Buffalo, NY. Catholic Health's remaining LTC facilities will be aligned more closely with the company's hospitals, reports stated. CHM is based on Long Island, NY.
Gay couple turns to EEOC
March 01, 2014Brookdale Senior Living is revisiting its benefits policies for same-sex couples after an employee filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January. The worker alleged that Brookdale denied health benefits to her wife after the couple got married in Connecticut.
Providers strive to diversify services, payment streams
March 01, 2014Companies in the post-acute sector have been seeking deals to diversify their services and limit their reliance on Medicare, according to a recent analysis from investment banking firm TripleTree.
BusinessBriefs
February 01, 2014» The Cahill Group, based in Chicago, has acquired a portfolio of Rosewood Care Centers skilled nursing facilities for $250 million. The SNFs are in Illinois and Missouri. The new company overseeing operations will be called Cahill Rosewood.
Freddie Mac option debuts
February 01, 2014A California long-term care provider has become the first to obtain financing through a new revolving credit facility offered by Freddie Mac.
Local 'religiosity' often tied to fairer business practices
February 01, 2014A number of the nation's largest nursing facility corporations might have better business practices because their headquarters are in communities where religion is important to many people, new study results suggest.
CompanyBriefs
January 01, 2014» IPC The Hospitalist Company has acquired four affiliated post-acute practices in White Plains, NY. Known collectively as Park Avenue, the affiliated practices serve more than 120 skilled nursing and other post-acute facilities, according to co-owner Brad Markowitz. IPC is a physician group offering services in more than 800 post-acute facilities.
Omega closes $525M deal
January 01, 2014Omega Healthcare Investors closed a $525 million deal to acquire 55 skilled nursing facilities.
Brookdale targets new goal: national brand recognition
January 01, 2014Brookdale Senior Living is known as one of the largest U.S. assisted living operators, but the Tennessee-based company has ambitious plans to establish itself as the national leader across the whole continuum of care.
BusinessBriefs
December 01, 2013» Brookdale Senior Living workers in the Senior Care division will not receive merit increases due to Medicare reimbursement cuts and therapy caps, the Nashville-based company stated in an email to local reporters.
HUD tries to ease backlog
December 01, 2013Senior living companies pursuing Department of Housing and Urban Development financing should expect delays, one expert said.
Kindred repositions services to guarantee future growth
December 01, 2013Kindred Healthcare, one of the nation's largest long-term care operators, has completed the first phase of a repositioning plan and is entering a period of growth, company leaders recently announced.
CompanyBriefs
November 01, 2013» The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society partnered with AARP to pilot the "Connecting to Community" program to reduce social isolation. Residents at four Good Samaritan locations received iPads and six months of training.
Advisors draft new Blueprint
November 01, 2013High-profile long-term care veterans have teamed up to create a new senior housing investment advisory group based in Chicago.
Five Star makes changes to rely less on public funding
November 01, 2013Five Star Quality Care recently transferred operations of two rehabilitation hospitals in Massachusetts to Reliant Hospital Partners, marking the latest move in the company's dramatic shift toward private pay operations.
CompanyBriefs
October 01, 2013» Alana Healthcare has continued to partner with skilled nursing facilities in the Southeast as it transitions from a durable medical equipment supplier to a healthcare management company. Its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease program has helped SNFs reduce hospital readmissions 73%, according to the company.
KY helping Trilogy grow
October 01, 2013Trilogy Health Services, which operates 76 senior living communities in the Midwest, is looking to expand its headquarters to support significant growth.
Faith-based provider forced to sell off 6 nursing homes
October 01, 2013Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, one of the nation's largest faith-based long-term care providers, has announced it will sell its six nursing homes and one assisted living facility to help close a huge budget deficit.
Diversicare exits Arkansas
September 01, 2013Diversicare is terminating its lease on 11 Arkansas nursing facilities, exiting that market after more than 20 years.
Skilled Healthcare Group CEO to retire as company rebuilds
September 01, 2013Boyd Hendrickson, a transformative figure in long-term care while at the helm of Skilled Healthcare Group, will be retiring as the company restructures its balance sheet and administrative services.
