HUGH CHATHAM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
HUGH CHATHAM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL is a 81-bed suburban community hospital in SURRY, NC with $115.6M in net patient revenue and a -10.7% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 26.0% Medicare, 3.7% Medicaid, and 70.3% commercial.
Thesis: Turnaround. Our ML models identify $8.5M in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from -10.7% to -3.4% (+736bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $115.6M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $-12.4M |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | -10.7% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 45.5% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $1.4M |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 28.6% |
| Distress Probability ML | 48.5% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
NC has 129 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of -2.0%. The target's margin of -10.7% places it below the state median. Among 54 size-comparable peers (40-162 beds), the median margin is -1.5%. The target's below-peer margin suggests operational improvement opportunity.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (40-162), prioritizing same-state peers. 54 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUGH CHATHAM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (Target) | NC | 81 | $115.6M | -10.7% |
| MARGARET R. PARDEE MEMORIAL HO | NC | 160 | $341.3M | -5.7% |
| ATRIUM HEALTH UNIVERSITY CITY | NC | 104 | $286.9M | 28.6% |
| BLUE RIDGE HEALTHCARE HOSPITAL | NC | 156 | $277.3M | -1.1% |
| PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL HUNTERSV | NC | 135 | $276.7M | 21.8% |
| PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL MATTHEWS | NC | 157 | $274.9M | 14.3% |
| IREDELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | NC | 155 | $228.0M | 3.7% |
| ADVENTHEALTH HENDERSONVILLE | NC | 73 | $227.1M | -4.1% |
| THOMASVILLE MEDICAL CENTER | NC | 73 | $220.3M | -14.3% |
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: $8.5M (736bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $2.4M | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $2.3M | +200bp | 12mo |
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $2.3M | +198bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $1.4M | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $74K | +6bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $-12.4M |
| + RCM Uplift | +$8.5M |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $-3.9M |
| Current Margin | -10.7% |
| Pro Forma Margin | -3.4% |
| WC Released (1x) | $4.4M |
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 | $-19.1M | $3.3M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $-19.1M | $-2.5M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $-17.2M | $19.4M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $-17.2M | $16.1M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $-21.0M | $-33.0M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $-21.0M | $-43.2M | 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
- 54 hospitals with 40-162 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=55)
- Comp margins: P25=-8.1% / P50=-1.5% / P75=12.9%
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.