CAYUGA MEDICAL CENTER AT ITHACA
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
CAYUGA MEDICAL CENTER AT ITHACA is a 107-bed suburban community hospital in TOMPKINS, NY with $302.3M in net patient revenue and a -13.1% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 30.5% Medicare, 3.5% Medicaid, and 66.1% commercial.
Thesis: Undervalued. Our ML models identify $22.3M in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from -13.1% to -5.8% (+736bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $302.3M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $-39.7M |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | -13.1% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 75.8% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $2.8M |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 48.1% |
| Distress Probability ML | 41.8% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
NY has 196 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of -17.5%. The target's margin of -13.1% places it above the state median. Among 80 size-comparable peers (54-214 beds), the median margin is -16.4%. The target performs in line with or above peers.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (54-214), prioritizing same-state peers. 80 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAYUGA MEDICAL CENTER AT ITHAC (Target) | NY | 107 | $302.3M | -13.1% |
| HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY | NY | 200 | $1.12B | -29.3% |
| ROSWELL PARK CANCER INSTITUTE | NY | 142 | $772.3M | -40.1% |
| QUEENS HOSPITAL CENTER | NY | 200 | $637.2M | 4.9% |
| MARY IMOGENE BASSETT HOSPITAL | NY | 160 | $529.1M | -31.6% |
| SARATOGA HOSPITAL | NY | 171 | $431.9M | -12.3% |
| NORTHERN WESTCHESTER HOSPITAL | NY | 162 | $416.0M | -4.5% |
| OUR LADY OF LOURDES MEMORIAL H | NY | 175 | $411.8M | -24.9% |
| MATHER HOSPITAL | NY | 195 | $387.3M | -3.6% |
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: $22.3M (736bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $6.3M | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $6.0M | +200bp | 12mo |
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $6.0M | +198bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $3.7M | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $193K | +6bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $-39.7M |
| + RCM Uplift | +$22.3M |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $-17.4M |
| Current Margin | -13.1% |
| Pro Forma Margin | -5.8% |
| WC Released (1x) | $11.6M |
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 | $-61.0M | $-39.0M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $-61.0M | $-62.8M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $-54.9M | $-9.1M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $-54.9M | $-26.2M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $-67.1M | $-130.5M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $-67.1M | $-165.4M | 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
- 80 hospitals with 54-214 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=81)
- Comp margins: P25=-29.3% / P50=-16.4% / P75=-8.8%
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.