CHRISTUS MF - SULPHUR SPRINGS
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
CHRISTUS MF - SULPHUR SPRINGS is a 56-bed suburban community hospital in HOPKINS, TX with $121.4M in net patient revenue and a 9.8% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 31.4% Medicare, 2.3% Medicaid, and 66.3% commercial.
Thesis: Turnaround. Our ML models identify $8.9M in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from 9.8% to 17.2% (+736bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $121.4M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $11.9M |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | 9.8% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 59.7% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $2.2M |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 16.7% |
| Distress Probability ML | 42.6% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
TX has 583 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of -0.7%. The target's margin of 9.8% places it above the state median. Among 230 size-comparable peers (28-112 beds), the median margin is 0.2%. The target performs in line with or above peers.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (28-112), prioritizing same-state peers. 230 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTUS MF - SULPHUR SPRINGS (Target) | TX | 56 | $121.4M | 9.8% |
| THE HEART HOSPITAL BAYLOR PLAN | TX | 109 | $464.6M | 25.7% |
| DECATUR COMMUNITY HOSPITAL | TX | 81 | $361.0M | -15.5% |
| WISE HEALTH SYSTEM - PARKWAY | TX | 36 | $361.0M | -15.5% |
| CHILDRENS MEDICAL CENTER OF PL | TX | 72 | $336.7M | 20.9% |
| BAYLOR HEART AND VASCULAR HOSP | TX | 53 | $255.0M | 30.0% |
| TEXAS ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITA | TX | 42 | $237.8M | 46.3% |
| PRESBYTERIAN HOSP FLOWER MOUND | TX | 99 | $215.0M | 28.3% |
| LAKE GRANBURY MEDICAL CENTER | TX | 53 | $181.6M | 38.5% |
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: $8.9M (736bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $2.6M | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $2.4M | +200bp | 12mo |
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $2.4M | +198bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $1.5M | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $78K | +6bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $11.9M |
| + RCM Uplift | +$8.9M |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $20.9M |
| Current Margin | 9.8% |
| Pro Forma Margin | 17.2% |
| WC Released (1x) | $4.7M |
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 | $18.4M | $168.1M | 9.16x | 55.7% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $18.4M | $190.9M | 10.40x | 59.7% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $16.5M | $226.3M | 13.70x | 68.8% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $16.5M | $251.8M | 15.24x | 72.4% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $20.2M | $117.5M | 5.82x | 42.2% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $20.2M | $135.8M | 6.72x | 46.4% |
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
- 230 hospitals with 28-112 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=231)
- Comp margins: P25=-14.0% / P50=0.2% / P75=11.7%
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.