SSH - COLUMBUS INC.
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
SSH - COLUMBUS INC. is a 162-bed suburban community hospital in FRANKLIN, OH with $69.3M in net patient revenue and a 18.5% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 22.9% Medicare, 13.0% Medicaid, and 64.1% commercial.
Thesis: Turnaround. Our ML models identify $5.1M in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from 18.5% to 25.8% (+736bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $69.3M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $12.8M |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | 18.5% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 45.4% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $428K |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 16.0% |
| Distress Probability ML | 51.0% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
OH has 235 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of -0.3%. The target's margin of 18.5% places it above the state median. Among 82 size-comparable peers (81-324 beds), the median margin is 0.3%. The target performs in line with or above peers.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (81-324), prioritizing same-state peers. 82 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSH - COLUMBUS INC. (Target) | OH | 162 | $69.3M | 18.5% |
| RAINBOW BABIES & CHILDRENS HOS | OH | 231 | $2.22B | -5.0% |
| KETTERING HEALTH DAYTON | OH | 317 | $667.6M | 3.3% |
| DAYTON CHILDRENS HOSPITAL | OH | 181 | $569.1M | 7.9% |
| GENESIS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM | OH | 282 | $527.6M | 0.6% |
| MARIETTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | OH | 188 | $475.8M | -12.4% |
| ADENA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER | OH | 209 | $470.7M | 3.5% |
| SOUTHERN OHIO MEDICAL CENTER | OH | 192 | $424.3M | -4.9% |
| SOUTHWEST GENERAL HEALTH CENTE | OH | 191 | $406.9M | 2.5% |
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: $5.1M (736bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $1.5M | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $1.4M | +200bp | 12mo |
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $1.4M | +198bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $843K | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $44K | +6bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $12.8M |
| + RCM Uplift | +$5.1M |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $17.9M |
| Current Margin | 18.5% |
| Pro Forma Margin | 25.8% |
| WC Released (1x) | $2.7M |
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 | $19.7M | $135.3M | 6.88x | 47.1% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $19.7M | $155.3M | 7.89x | 51.2% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $17.7M | $178.5M | 10.08x | 58.7% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $17.7M | $199.9M | 11.29x | 62.4% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $21.6M | $103.5M | 4.78x | 36.7% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $21.6M | $120.8M | 5.58x | 41.0% |
7. Key Risks & Mitigants
| Severity | Risk Factor | Mitigant |
|---|---|---|
| High | Elevated distress probability | Model estimates 51.0% 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
- 82 hospitals with 81-324 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=83)
- Comp margins: P25=-10.5% / P50=0.3% / P75=7.0%
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.