SSH -NORTH KNOXVILLE
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
SSH -NORTH KNOXVILLE is a 65-bed community hospital in KNOX, TN with $33.7M in net patient revenue and a 0.6% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 37.3% Medicare, 0.0% Medicaid, and 62.7% commercial.
Thesis: Turnaround. Our ML models identify $2.5M in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from 0.6% to 7.9% (+736bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $33.7M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $196K |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | 0.6% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 91.3% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $519K |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 13.8% |
| Distress Probability ML | nan% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
TN has 141 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of -0.6%. The target's margin of 0.6% places it above the state median. Among 62 size-comparable peers (32-130 beds), the median margin is 0.8%. The target's below-peer margin suggests operational improvement opportunity.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (32-130), prioritizing same-state peers. 62 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSH -NORTH KNOXVILLE (Target) | TN | 65 | $33.7M | 0.6% |
| METRO NASHVILLE GENERAL HOSPIT | TN | 114 | $287.4M | 48.9% |
| TRISTAR HENDERSONVILLE MEDICAL | TN | 129 | $208.6M | 41.5% |
| TRISTAR STONECREST MEDICAL CEN | TN | 115 | $190.0M | 39.5% |
| BAPTIST MEM HOSPITAL TIPTON CO | TN | 48 | $179.0M | -5.8% |
| VANDERBILT WILSON COUNTY HOSPI | TN | 113 | $158.7M | -7.1% |
| SOUTHERN HILLS MEDICAL CENTER | TN | 101 | $145.2M | 16.4% |
| INDIAN PATH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL | TN | 35 | $142.8M | 12.0% |
| HORIZON MEDICAL CENTER | TN | 96 | $141.3M | 15.3% |
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: $2.5M (736bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $708K | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $675K | +200bp | 12mo |
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $668K | +198bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $410K | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $22K | +6bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $196K |
| + RCM Uplift | +$2.5M |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $2.7M |
| Current Margin | 0.6% |
| Pro Forma Margin | 7.9% |
| WC Released (1x) | $1.3M |
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 | $302K | $26.1M | 86.62x | 144.1% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $302K | $28.8M | 95.60x | 148.9% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $271K | $37.1M | 136.78x | 167.4% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $271K | $40.6M | 149.51x | 172.2% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $332K | $13.6M | 41.03x | 110.2% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $332K | $15.1M | 45.45x | 114.5% |
7. Key Risks & Mitigants
| Severity | Risk Factor | Mitigant |
|---|---|---|
| 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
- 62 hospitals with 32-130 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=63)
- Comp margins: P25=-11.3% / P50=0.8% / P75=12.1%
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.