MISSION VIEJO, Calif., May 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ensign Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENSG), the parent company of the Ensign™ group of skilled nursing, rehabilitative care services, home health, home care, hospice care and assisted living companies, today announced its operating results for the first quarter of 2018, reporting GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.43 for the quarter with adjusted earnings per share of $0.45 for the quarter ⁽¹⁾.

Highlights Include:

• GAAP earnings for the quarter was $0.43 per diluted share, and adjusted earnings per share was up 32.4% over the prior year quarter to a record $0.45 per diluted share⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾;
• Consolidated GAAP Net Income for the quarter was $23.1 million, and consolidated adjusted Net Income was $24.1 million, an increase of 34.7% over the prior year quarter⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾;
• Total Transitional and Skilled Services segment income was $46.2 million for the quarter, an increase of 45.3% over the prior year quarter and an increase of 15.7% sequentially over the fourth quarter;
• Same-store occupancy was 79.2%, an increase of 82 basis points over the prior year quarter;
• Transitioning skilled occupancy was 76.0%, an increase of 415 basis points over the prior year quarter;
• Transitioning skilled managed care revenue was up 16.0% and same-store skilled managed care revenue was up 5.9%, both over the prior year quarter; and
• Total Home Health and Hospice Services segment revenue was up 23.7% to $39.8 million and segment income was up 41.1% to $6.1 million, both over the prior year quarter.

Operating Results

“We are pleased to report that we achieved a record quarter as the improvements we experienced in the fourth quarter continued into the first quarter,” said Ensign’s President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Christensen.  “We are excited about the progress we’ve made as the ramp in many of our transitioning operations is now materializing, including significant growth in occupancy in Utah and Texas,” he said.  Mr. Christensen added that the Company has seen positive momentum in skilled revenue and managed care revenues in both same-store and transitioning facilities as each of these operations continue to gain the trust of the healthcare communities they serve.  “These results are only possible because of outstanding local leaders that work tirelessly to customize their care and services to the needs of the unique healthcare markets they serve,” he emphasized.  “We are encouraged by the progress we’re making in our more mature operations, but we are especially excited about the enormous potential we have in our 62 newer operations, most of which haven’t begun to contribute what we expect they will in the future,” he added.    

Pointing to the underlying value being created in Ensign’s owned real estate, Mr. Christensen said, “As we announced again yesterday, we continue to methodically add value to our real estate portfolio by acquiring additional real estate assets and improving their clinical outcomes.  We will always be an operationally-driven organization first, but we also believe it’s important to recognize the growing underlying value in our owned real estate and the flexibility that ownership gives us in the future,” he said. 

“We are also pleased to report that our home health and hospice and assisted living businesses continue to achieve outstanding results,” Christensen stated.  He noted that Cornerstone Healthcare, Inc., Ensign’s home health and hospice portfolio subsidiary, grew its segment revenue and income by 23.7% and 41.1%, respectively, over the prior year quarter.  Similarly, he noted that Bridgestone Living LLC, Ensign’s assisted living and independent living portfolio company, which now consists of 51 stand-alone operations and 22 campuses in 12 states, grew its segment revenue and income by 11.6% and 5.0%, respectively, over the prior year quarter.  “While these two business segments and our skilled nursing operations both benefit from certain synergies that come from their affiliation with Ensign, each of the independent leadership teams drive their respective operations with little to no dependence on one another. As they do so, we continue to evaluate ways in which we can enhance those operational synergies while also ensuring that all of our affiliated operations are receiving credit for the value they have and continue to create,” Christensen added.   

Mr. Christensen also commented on some recent announcements made by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), indicating that he was very pleased with a proposed net market basket increase of 2.4% starting in October 2018 for our affiliated skilled nursing operations.  He also mentioned that he was encouraged by CMS’s newest payment reform proposal called Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), which could be implemented as soon as October 1, 2019.  “While there is much to learn about this new proposed payment system, we are very pleased that CMS is working so closely with operators across the country to develop a predictable and sustainable reimbursement system,” he said.  “But regardless of how the changes ultimately play out, we are confident that our relentless focus on quality and efficient outcomes will serve us well in any number of new reimbursement systems, including this latest iteration,” he concluded.

Chief Financial Officer Suzanne Snapper reported that, “Our liquidity remains strong with approximately $195 million of availability as of today on Ensign’s $450 million credit facility, which also has a built-in expansion option, and 47 unlevered real estate assets that add additional borrowing capacity.”  She also noted that the Company’s net-debt-to-EBITDAR ratio went down to 4.1x as of quarter end as the EBITDAR from transitioning and newly acquired operations continues to grow, but indicated that this number could be impacted by future acquisitions.  She also indicated that cash generated from operations was $40.4 million in the three months ended March 31, 2018, which was primarily driven by an increase in operating results and stronger collections.

A discussion of the company's use of non-GAAP financial measures is set forth below. A reconciliation of net income to EBITDA, adjusted EBITDAR and adjusted EBITDA, as well as a reconciliation of GAAP earnings per share, net income to adjusted net earnings per share and adjusted net income, appear in the financial data portion of this release.  More complete information is contained in the company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, which is expected to be filed with the SEC today and can be viewed on the company’s website at http://www.ensigngroup.net.

Quarter Highlights

During the quarter, Ensign announced that Bridgestone Living LLC, the Company’s assisted living portfolio subsidiary, acquired the real estate and operations of Cedar Hills Senior Living, a 37-unit assisted living facility in Cedar Hill, Texas, and Deer Creek Senior Living, a 37-unit assisted living facility in DeSoto, Texas. 

Ensign also recently announced that Bandera Healthcare, Inc., the Company’s Arizona-based portfolio company, acquired the real estate and operations of Peoria Post Acute and Rehabilitation, a 128-bed skilled nursing facility located in Peoria, Arizona. The acquisition was effective April 1, 2018 and included an adjacent 50-bed long-term acute care hospital that is currently operated by a third party under a lease arrangement. “Our operational and clinical leaders in Arizona are singularly focused on becoming the best-in-class post-acute care provider in their respective markets,” said Christensen.  “This new operation is in good hands as it joins a group of Bandera-owned operations that are truly achieving remarkable clinical and financial results,” he added.

Yesterday, Ensign announced that Keystone Care LLC, its Texas-based portfolio subsidiary, acquired the real estate and operations of Grace Presbyterian Village, a 26-acre post-acute care and retirement campus located in Dallas, Texas. Grace Presbyterian Village, which will be known as The Villages of Dallas, is a full-service senior care campus with 125 skilled nursing beds, 81 independent living units, 36 assisted living units, and 26 memory care units.  “This acquisition adds to our expanding footprint in the Dallas area and adds to our ability to accelerate the quality of care we can provide to our patients and their loved ones,” said Barry Port, President of Keystone Care LLC.  He continued, “We are being very selective with each potential acquisition opportunity, and we have carefully chosen this campus because of the potential we see to enhance the outstanding foundation that has been established there.”

These additions bring Ensign's growing portfolio to 183 skilled nursing operations, 22 of which also include assisted living operations, 51 assisted and independent living operations, 22 hospice agencies, 20 home health agencies and four home care businesses across fifteen states.  Ensign owns the real estate at 67 of its 234 healthcare facilities.  Mr. Christensen reaffirmed that Ensign continues to actively seek transactions to acquire real estate and to lease both well-performing and struggling skilled nursing, assisted living and other healthcare related businesses in new and existing markets.

Ensign paid a quarterly cash dividend of $0.045 per share of its common stock during the quarter. Ensign has been a dividend-paying company since 2002 and has increased its dividend every year for 16 years.

Conference Call

A live webcast will be held Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time (1:00 p.m. Eastern time) to discuss Ensign’s first quarter financial results. To listen to the webcast, or to view any financial or statistical information required by SEC Regulation G, please visit the Investors Relations section of Ensign’s website at http://investor.ensigngroup.net. The webcast will be recorded, and will be available for replay via the website until 5:00 p.m. Pacific time on Friday, May 25, 2018.

About Ensign™

The Ensign Group, Inc.'s independent operating subsidiaries provide a broad spectrum of skilled nursing and assisted living services, physical, occupational and speech therapies, home health and hospice services and other rehabilitative and healthcare services at 234 healthcare facilities, 22 hospice agencies, 20 home health agencies and four home care businesses in California, Arizona, Texas, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, Nebraska, Oregon, Wisconsin, Kansas, South Carolina, and Oklahoma. Each of these operations is operated by a separate, independent operating subsidiary that has its own management, employees and assets. References herein to the consolidated “company” and “its” assets and activities, as well as the use of the terms “we,” “us,” “its” and similar terms, are not meant to imply that The Ensign Group, Inc. has direct operating assets, employees or revenue, or that any of the operations, the home health and hospice businesses, the Service Center or the captive insurance subsidiary are operated by the same entity. More information about Ensign is available at http://www.ensigngroup.net.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This press release contains, and the related conference call and webcast will include, forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current expectations, assumptions and beliefs about its business, financial performance, operating results, the industry in which it operates and other future events. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding growth prospects, future operating and financial performance, and acquisition activities. They are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to materially and adversely differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

These risks and uncertainties relate to the company’s business, its industry and its common stock and include: reduced prices and reimbursement rates for its services; its ability to acquire, develop, manage or improve operations, its ability to manage its increasing borrowing costs as it incurs additional indebtedness to fund the acquisition and development of operations; its ability to access capital on a cost-effective basis to continue to successfully implement its growth strategy; its operating margins and profitability could suffer if it is unable to grow and manage effectively its increasing number of operations; competition from other companies in the acquisition, development and operation of facilities; its ability to defend claims and lawsuits, including professional liability claims alleging that our services resulted in personal injury, and other regulatory-related claims; and the application of existing or proposed government regulations, or the adoption of new laws and regulations, that could limit its business operations, require it to incur significant expenditures or limit its ability to relocate its operations if necessary. Readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements and are encouraged to review the company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-Q, for a more complete discussion of the risks and other factors that could affect Ensign’s business, prospects and any forward-looking statements. Except as required by the federal securities laws, Ensign does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changing circumstances or any other reason after the date of this press release.

Contact Information

Investor/Media Relations, The Ensign Group, Inc., (949) 487-9500, ir@ensigngroup.net.  

SOURCE: The Ensign Group, Inc.

Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

EBITDA consists of net income before (a) interest expense, net, (b) provisions for income taxes and (c) depreciation and amortization. EBITDAR consists of net income before (a) interest expense, net, (b) provisions for income taxes, (c) depreciation and amortization and (d) rent-cost of services. Adjusted EBITDA consists of net income before (a) interest expense, net, (b) provisions for income taxes, (c) depreciation and amortization, (d) costs incurred for operations currently being constructed and other start-up operations, excluding depreciation, interest and income taxes, (e) results of closed operations and facilities not at full operation, excluding depreciation, interest and income taxes, (f) share-based compensation expense, (g) return of unclaimed class action settlement and charges related to class action lawsuit, and (h) patient base and other transaction-related costs.  Adjusted EBITDAR consists of net income before (a) interest expense, net, (b) provisions for income taxes, (c) depreciation and amortization, (d) rent-cost of services, (e) costs incurred for facilities currently being constructed and other start-up operations, excluding rent, depreciation, interest and income taxes, (f) results of closed operation and facilities not at full operation, excluding rent, depreciation, interest and income taxes, (g) share-based compensation expense, (h) return of unclaimed class action settlement and charges related to class action lawsuit, and (i) patient base and other transaction-related costs. The company believes that the presentation of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDAR, adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per share provides important supplemental information to management and investors to evaluate the company’s operating performance. The company believes disclosure of adjusted net income, adjusted net income per share, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDAR has economic substance because the excluded revenues and expenses are infrequent in nature and are variable in nature, or do not represent current revenues or cash expenditures. A material limitation associated with the use of these measures as compared to the GAAP measures of net income and diluted earnings per share is that they may not be comparable with the calculation of net income and diluted earnings per share for other companies in the company's industry. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be relied upon to the exclusion of GAAP financial measures. For further information regarding why the company believes that this non-GAAP measure provides useful information to investors, the specific manner in which management uses this measure, and some of the limitations associated with the use of this measure, please refer to the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The company’s periodic filings are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or under the "Financial Information" link of the Investor Relations section on Ensign’s website at http://www.ensigngroup.net.

Source: The Ensign Group, Inc.