CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER is a 226-bed safety-net/medicaid heavy in HINDS, MS with $142.2M in net patient revenue and a -12.4% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 19.1% Medicare, 24.7% Medicaid, and 56.2% commercial.
Thesis: Undervalued. Our ML models identify $10.5M in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from -12.4% to -5.1% (+736bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $142.2M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $-17.7M |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | -12.4% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 36.0% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $629K |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 7.8% |
| Distress Probability ML | 54.9% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
MS has 110 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of -12.5%. The target's margin of -12.4% places it above the state median. Among 19 size-comparable peers (113-452 beds), the median margin is -5.2%. The target's below-peer margin suggests operational improvement opportunity.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (113-452), prioritizing same-state peers. 19 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CE (Target) | MS | 226 | $142.2M | -12.4% |
| MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AT GULFPORT | MS | 278 | $700.2M | -15.7% |
| MS BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER | MS | 399 | $449.3M | -9.6% |
| FORREST GENERAL HOSPITAL | MS | 435 | $446.8M | -8.4% |
| SINGING RIVER HEALTH SYSTEM | MS | 294 | $415.9M | -12.8% |
| BAPTIST MEM HOSPITAL DESOTO | MS | 298 | $301.6M | -5.2% |
| BAPTIST MEM HOSPITAL NORTH MIS | MS | 195 | $229.4M | 0.7% |
| BAPTIST MEM HOSPITAL GOLDEN TR | MS | 154 | $221.1M | 6.9% |
| JEFF ANDERSON REGIONAL MEDICAL | MS | 270 | $213.3M | -25.9% |
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: $10.5M (736bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $3.0M | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $2.8M | +200bp | 12mo |
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $2.8M | +198bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $1.7M | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $91K | +6bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $-17.7M |
| + RCM Uplift | +$10.5M |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $-7.2M |
| Current Margin | -12.4% |
| Pro Forma Margin | -5.1% |
| WC Released (1x) | $5.5M |
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 | $-27.2M | $-12.0M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $-27.2M | $-22.1M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $-24.5M | $3.6M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $-24.5M | $-3.3M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $-30.0M | $-55.6M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $-30.0M | $-70.8M | 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 |
| Medium | Elevated Medicaid exposure (24.7%) | Medicaid reimburses below cost in most states. Mitigant: denial reduction lever has highest impact on Medicaid claims |
| High | Elevated distress probability | Model estimates 54.9% probability of financial distress. Mitigant: distressed entry pricing (7-9x) compensates for risk |
| Low | Low net-to-gross ratio | Large contractual allowances suggest pricing discipline issues. Mitigant: payer renegotiation is an additional upside lever |
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
- 19 hospitals with 113-452 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=20)
- Comp margins: P25=-14.2% / P50=-5.2% / P75=0.8%
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.