WAUKESHA COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH CNTR
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
WAUKESHA COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH CNTR is a 23-bed under-performing / distressed in WAUKESHA, WI with $1.9M in net patient revenue and a -100.0% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 1.6% Medicare, 1.0% Medicaid, and 97.4% commercial.
Thesis: Turnaround. Our ML models identify $153K in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from -100.0% to -315.8% (+820bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $1.9M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $-6.1M |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | -100.0% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 47.4% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $81K |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 33.3% |
| Distress Probability ML | 48.6% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
WI has 150 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of 0.4%. The target's margin of -100.0% places it below the state median. Among 85 size-comparable peers (12-46 beds), the median margin is 2.0%. The target's below-peer margin suggests operational improvement opportunity.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (12-46), prioritizing same-state peers. 85 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAUKESHA COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH (Target) | WI | 23 | $1.9M | -100.0% |
| MERCY WALWORTH HOSPITAL | WI | 25 | $616.4M | 4.4% |
| ASPIRUS RIVERVIEW HOSPITAL & C | WI | 44 | $161.3M | 13.1% |
| MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER INC. | WI | 25 | $138.4M | 8.1% |
| LAKEVIEW MEDICAL CENTER OF RIC | WI | 40 | $137.4M | -12.0% |
| MARSHFIELD MEDICAL CENTER-MINO | WI | 19 | $129.6M | -12.4% |
| MCHS-RED CEDAR | WI | 25 | $123.4M | 16.8% |
| MEMORIAL HOSPITAL OF BURLINGTO | WI | 33 | $118.8M | 15.3% |
| OAK LEAF SURGICAL HOSPITAL LLC | WI | 13 | $109.8M | 34.1% |
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: $153K (820bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $44K | +237bp | 12mo |
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $39K | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $37K | +200bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $23K | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $10K | +51bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $-6.1M |
| + RCM Uplift | +$153K |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $-5.9M |
| Current Margin | -100.0% |
| Pro Forma Margin | -315.8% |
| WC Released (1x) | $72K |
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 | $-9.3M | $-38.4M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $-9.3M | $-45.3M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $-8.4M | $-47.8M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $-8.4M | $-54.7M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $-10.3M | $-36.2M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $-10.3M | $-43.1M | 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
- 85 hospitals with 12-46 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=86)
- Comp margins: P25=-8.7% / P50=2.0% / P75=8.6%
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.