ST. JOSEPHS BEHAVIORAL HLTH CENTER
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
ST. JOSEPHS BEHAVIORAL HLTH CENTER is a 35-bed community hospital in SAN JOAQUIN, CA with $19.9M in net patient revenue and a -20.5% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 22.6% Medicare, 0.0% Medicaid, and 77.4% commercial.
Thesis: Turnaround. Our ML models identify $1.5M in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from -20.5% to -13.2% (+736bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $19.9M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $-4.1M |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | -20.5% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 88.4% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $568K |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 46.0% |
| Distress Probability ML | nan% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
CA has 414 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of -4.9%. The target's margin of -20.5% places it below the state median. Among 81 size-comparable peers (18-70 beds), the median margin is -6.2%. The target's below-peer margin suggests operational improvement opportunity.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (18-70), prioritizing same-state peers. 81 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST. JOSEPHS BEHAVIORAL HLTH CE (Target) | CA | 35 | $19.9M | -20.5% |
| USC NORRIS CANCER HOSPITAL | CA | 60 | $468.7M | 19.1% |
| TAHOE FOREST HOSPITAL | CA | 25 | $264.3M | 13.0% |
| SUTTER AUBURN FAITH HOSPITAL | CA | 64 | $189.3M | 3.8% |
| ADVENTIST HEALTH REEDLEY | CA | 49 | $187.1M | 1.8% |
| SUTTER DAVIS HOSPITAL | CA | 48 | $176.9M | 12.5% |
| ADVENTIST HEALTH UKIAH VALLEY | CA | 50 | $173.4M | -39.9% |
| SAN MATEO MEDICAL CENTER | CA | 69 | $169.7M | -50.0% |
| BARTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | CA | 63 | $165.8M | -26.7% |
4. Predicted Improvement Opportunities
Improvement targets set at P75 of comparable peers with 60% gap closure assumption. Coefficients calibrated to published research bands. Total EBITDA uplift: $1.5M (736bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $417K | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $398K | +200bp | 12mo |
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $394K | +198bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $242K | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $13K | +6bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $-4.1M |
| + RCM Uplift | +$1.5M |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $-2.6M |
| Current Margin | -20.5% |
| Pro Forma Margin | -13.2% |
| WC Released (1x) | $763K |
6. Returns Analysis — Scenario Matrix
5-year hold, 5.5x leverage, 3% organic growth, 10%/yr debt paydown. Base case uses 100% of predicted RCM uplift. Bull case: 130% uplift at lower entry. Bear case: 50% uplift at higher entry.
| Scenario | Entry | Exit | Equity In | Equity Out | MOIC | IRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Case | 10.0x | 10.0x | $-6.3M | $-12.3M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $-6.3M | $-15.6M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $-5.7M | $-12.8M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $-5.7M | $-15.6M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $-6.9M | $-17.6M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $-6.9M | $-21.6M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
7. Key Risks & Mitigants
| Severity | Risk Factor | Mitigant |
|---|---|---|
| High | Negative operating margin | RCM uplift bridge shows clear path to profitability; working capital release provides near-term cash cushion |
8. Data Sources & Methodology Appendix
Data Sources
- CMS HCRIS Cost Reports (Medicare-certified hospitals)
- CMS Medicare Utilization (DRG-level volumes)
- CMS Chronic Conditions (county-level disease prevalence)
- HCRIS multi-year trend data (financial time series)
Comparable Selection
- 81 hospitals with 18-70 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=82)
- Comp margins: P25=-17.6% / P50=-6.2% / P75=1.8%
Bridge Methodology
- Targets: P75 of comparable peers (60% gap closure)
- Denial: avoidable share = 35% of delta × NPR
- AR: bad debt coefficient = $0.65 per day per $1K NPR
- NCR: 60% coefficient on collection rate improvement
- CDI: 0.75% of Medicare revenue per 0.01 CMI point
Returns Assumptions
- Leverage: 5.5x entry (84.6% debt / 15.4% equity)
- Organic growth: 3% annual EBITDA growth
- Debt paydown: 10% of principal per year
- Hold period: 5 years
Generated by SeekingChartis on April 26, 2026. All predictions use public data only. Confidence intervals calibrated via split conformal prediction (90% coverage target). This memo is for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice.