ST. LUKES SUGAR LAND HOSPITAL
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
ST. LUKES SUGAR LAND HOSPITAL is a 100-bed under-performing / distressed in FORT BEND, TX with $84.9M in net patient revenue and a -24.0% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 16.0% Medicare, 13.6% Medicaid, and 70.4% commercial.
Thesis: Turnaround. Our ML models identify $6.3M in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from -24.0% to -16.7% (+736bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $84.9M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $-20.4M |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | -24.0% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 58.1% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $849K |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 15.8% |
| Distress Probability ML | 47.1% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
TX has 583 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of -0.7%. The target's margin of -24.0% places it below the state median. Among 191 size-comparable peers (50-200 beds), the median margin is 2.8%. The target's below-peer margin suggests operational improvement opportunity.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (50-200), prioritizing same-state peers. 191 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST. LUKES SUGAR LAND HOSPITAL (Target) | TX | 100 | $84.9M | -24.0% |
| ROUND ROCK HOSPITAL | TX | 165 | $681.4M | 8.7% |
| THE HEART HOSPITAL BAYLOR PLAN | TX | 109 | $464.6M | 25.7% |
| COVENANT CHILDRENS HOSPITAL | TX | 181 | $410.3M | 15.5% |
| COLLEGE STATION HOSPITAL | TX | 135 | $397.7M | -0.9% |
| MEMORIAL HERMANN KATY | TX | 196 | $381.4M | 13.3% |
| CHILDRENS HOSPITAL OF SAN ANTO | TX | 174 | $376.5M | -2.8% |
| DECATUR COMMUNITY HOSPITAL | TX | 81 | $361.0M | -15.5% |
| CHILDRENS MEDICAL CENTER OF PL | TX | 72 | $336.7M | 20.9% |
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: $6.3M (736bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $1.8M | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $1.7M | +200bp | 12mo |
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $1.7M | +198bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $1.0M | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $54K | +6bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $-20.4M |
| + RCM Uplift | +$6.3M |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $-14.1M |
| Current Margin | -24.0% |
| Pro Forma Margin | -16.7% |
| WC Released (1x) | $3.3M |
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 | $-31.4M | $-72.1M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $-31.4M | $-89.5M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $-28.2M | $-79.0M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $-28.2M | $-94.5M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $-34.5M | $-93.1M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $-34.5M | $-113.6M | 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 |
| 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
- 191 hospitals with 50-200 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=192)
- Comp margins: P25=-9.3% / P50=2.8% / 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.