Ardent Health Reports Fourth Quarter 2024 Results

Business Wire 26-Feb-2025 4:30 PM

Ardent Health Partners, Inc. (NYSE:ARDT) ("Ardent Health" or the "Company"), a leading provider of healthcare in growing mid-sized urban communities across the U.S., today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024.

Fourth Quarter 2024 Operating and Financial Summary

All comparisons are versus the same prior year period. See the footnotes to the Operating Statistics table of this press release for definitions of the metrics below and a full list of key operating metrics.

Financial Performance Summary

The Company's fourth quarter 2024 financial results were favorably impacted by recognition of the New Mexico state directed payment program, which was retroactively approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in November 2024 for the period covering the second half of 2024. Additionally, year-over-year comparisons are impacted by a cybersecurity incident (the "Cybersecurity Incident"), which negatively impacted the fourth quarter of 2023.

For the fourth quarter of 2024:

• Total revenue grew 19.3% year-over-year to $1,606 million. This revenue growth primarily resulted from a 9.0% year-over-year increase in adjusted admissions and a 9.5% year-over-year growth in net patient service revenue per adjusted admission.
• Net income attributable to Ardent Health was $114 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $4 million, or $(0.03) per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2023.
• Adjusted EBITDA increased 213% year-over-year to $183 million.

For the full-year 2024, revenue increased 10.3% to $5.97 billion, Adjusted EBITDA grew 58.4% to $498 million, and Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 260bps to 8.4%.

Excluding the fourth quarter 2024 New Mexico state directed payment benefit that was not included in our full-year 2024 guidance, the Company reported the following for the full-year 2024:

• Total revenue was $5,872 million, compared to guidance of $5,800 - $5,875 million.
• Adjusted EBITDA was $433.5 million, compared to guidance of $425 - $440 million.
• Adjusted admissions grew 4.8%, compared to guidance of 4.5% - 5.0%.
• Net patient service revenue per adjusted admission grew 3.4%, compared to guidance of 2.6% - 3.3%.

Operating Performance Summary

The following table provides a summary of certain key operating metrics for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same prior year period. See the footnotes to the Operating Statistics table of this press release for definitions of the metrics below and a full list of key operating metrics.

• Admissions for the fourth quarter of 2024 increased 11.5% year-over-year. Growth in general medicine, cardiology and neurology were particularly strong.
• Surgeries for the fourth quarter of 2024 increased 6.3% year-over-year, reflecting increases of 8.7% and 5.4% in inpatient and outpatient surgeries, respectively.
• Net patient service revenue per adjusted admission for the fourth quarter of 2024 increased 9.5% year-over-year. Excluding the benefit associated with the New Mexico state directed payment program, the increase in net patient service revenue per adjusted admission was approximately 3.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Balance Sheet, Cash Flow & Liquidity Update

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had total cash and cash equivalents of $557 million and total debt of $1.1 billion. The Company's net leverage ratio as of December 31, 2024 was 1.2x, as calculated under the Company's credit agreements, and its lease-adjusted net leverage ratio¹ was 2.9x. At the end of the fourth quarter, the Company's available liquidity was $845 million.

During the fourth quarter of 2024, net cash provided by operating activities was $120 million, compared to $67 million in the same prior year period.

NextCare Urgent Care Acquisition

On January 3, 2025, the Company announced the acquisition of 18 urgent care clinics across New Mexico and Oklahoma from NextCare Urgent Care. The acquisition significantly expands Ardent Health's ambulatory operations in both markets, complements our existing hospital footprint, and should lead to increased volumes over time.

Introducing 2025 Financial Guidance

The Company is providing initial full-year 2025 financial guidance. The outlook includes the financial benefit from the full-year impact of the Oklahoma and New Mexico state directed payment programs. All guidance is current as of the time provided and is subject to change.

The Company's forecasted guidance is based on current plans and expectations and is subject to a number of known and unknown uncertainties and risks, including those set forth below under the heading "Forward-Looking Statements." The Company does not forecast the impact of items such as, but not limited to, losses (gains) on sales of facilities, losses on retirement of debt, legal claim costs (benefits) and impairments of long-lived assets. The Company does not believe that it can forecast these items with sufficient accuracy because of the inherent difficulty of forecasting the timing or amount of various items that have not yet occurred and are out of the Company's control or cannot be reasonably predicted.

Fourth Quarter 2024 Results Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter financial results on February 27, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A webcast of the conference call will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's corporate website at https://ir.ardenthealth.com. To listen to a live broadcast, go to the site at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in order to register, download, and install any necessary audio software.

About Ardent Health

Ardent Health (NYSE:ARDT) is a leading provider of healthcare in growing mid-sized urban communities across the U.S. With a focus on people and investments in innovative services and technologies, Ardent Health is passionate about making healthcare better and easier to access. Through its subsidiaries, Ardent Health delivers care through a system of 30 acute care hospitals and more than 280 sites of care with over 1,800 affiliated providers across six states. For more information, please visit www.ardenthealth.com.

Supplemental Non-GAAP Information

We have included certain non-GAAP financial measures in this press release, including Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAR. We define these terms as follows:

• Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income plus (i) income tax expense (benefit), (ii) interest expense and (iii) depreciation and amortization expense (or EBITDA), as adjusted to deduct noncontrolling interest earnings, and excludes the effects of losses on the extinguishment and modification of debt; other non-operating losses (gains); Cybersecurity Incident expenses (recoveries); certain legal matters and related costs; restructuring, exit and acquisition-related costs; expenses incurred in connection with the implementation of Epic Systems ("Epic"), our integrated health information technology system; equity-based compensation expense; and loss (income) from disposed operations. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP performance measure used by our management and external users of our financial statements, such as investors, analysts, lenders, rating agencies and other interested parties, to evaluate companies in our industry. Adjusted EBITDA is a performance measure that is not defined under GAAP and is presented in this press release because our management considers it an important analytical indicator that is commonly used within the healthcare industry to evaluate financial performance and allocate resources. Further, our management believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful financial metric to assess our operating performance from period to period by excluding certain material non-cash items and unusual or non-recurring items that we do not expect to continue in the future and certain other adjustments we believe are not reflective of our ongoing operations and our performance. Because not all companies use identical calculations, our presentation of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. While we believe this is a useful supplemental performance measure for investors and other users of our financial information, you should not consider Adjusted EBITDA in isolation or as a substitute for net income or any other items calculated in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA has inherent material limitations as a performance measure, because it adds back certain expenses to net income, resulting in those expenses not being taken into account in the performance measure. We have borrowed money, so interest expense is a necessary element of our costs. Because we have material capital and intangible assets, depreciation and amortization expense are necessary elements of our costs. Likewise, the payment of taxes is a necessary element of our operations. Because Adjusted EBITDA excludes these and other items, it has material limitations as a measure of our performance.
• Adjusted EBITDAR. Adjusted EBITDAR is defined as Adjusted EBITDA further adjusted to add back rent expense payable to REITs, which consists of rent expense pursuant to the master lease agreement (the "Ventas Master Lease") with Ventas, Inc. ("Ventas"), lease agreements associated with the MOB Transactions (defined below) and a lease arrangement with Medical Properties Trust, Inc. ("MPT") for the Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center. Adjusted EBITDAR is a commonly used non-GAAP valuation measure used by our management, research analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate and compare the enterprise value of different companies in our industry. Adjusted EBITDAR excludes: (1) certain material noncash items and unusual or non-recurring items that we do not expect to continue in the future; (2) certain other adjustments that do not impact our enterprise value; and (3) rent expense payable to our REITs. We operate 30 acute care hospitals, 12 of which we lease from two REITs, Ventas and MPT, pursuant to long-term lease agreements. Additionally, during 2022, we completed the sale of 18 medical office buildings to Ventas in exchange for $204.0 million and concurrently entered into agreements to lease the real estate back from Ventas over a 12-year initial term with eight options to renew for additional five-year terms (the "MOB Transactions"). Our management views the long-term lease agreements with Ventas and MPT, as well as the MOB Transactions, as more like financing arrangements than true operating leases, with the rent payable to such REITs being similar to interest expense. As a result, our capital structure is different than many of our competitors, especially those whose real estate portfolio is predominately owned and not leased. Excluding the rent payable to such REITs allows investors to compare our enterprise value to those of other healthcare companies without regard to differences in capital structures, leasing arrangements and geographic markets, which can vary significantly among companies. Our management also uses Adjusted EBITDAR as one measure in determining the value of prospective acquisitions or divestitures. Finally, financial covenants in certain of our lease agreements, including the Ventas Master Lease, use Adjusted EBITDAR as a measure of compliance. Adjusted EBITDAR does not reflect our cash requirements for leasing commitments. As such, our presentation of Adjusted EBITDAR should not be construed as a performance or liquidity measure. Because not all companies use identical calculations, our presentation of Adjusted EBITDAR may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. While we believe this is a useful supplemental valuation measure for investors and other users of our financial information, you should not consider Adjusted EBITDAR in isolation or as a substitute for net income or any other items calculated in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDAR has inherent material limitations as a valuation measure, because it adds back certain expenses to net income, resulting in those expenses not being taken into account in the valuation measure. The payment of taxes and rent is a necessary element of our valuation. Because Adjusted EBITDAR excludes these and other items, it has material limitations as a measure of our valuation.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements other than statements of historical facts, including, among others, statements relating to our future financial performance, our business prospects and strategy, anticipated financial position, liquidity and capital needs, the industry in which we operate and other similar matters. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "could," "would," "will," "may," "can," "continue," "potential," "should" and the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology often identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements, including the risk factors and other cautionary statements described under the heading "Risk Factors" included in this Annual Report. Factors, risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those contemplated include, among others: (1) changes in government healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid could have an adverse effect on our revenues and business; (2) reduction in the reimbursement rates paid by commercial payors, our inability to retain and negotiate favorable contracts with private third-party payors, or an increasing volume of uninsured or underinsured patients; (3) security threats, catastrophic events and other disruptions affecting our, our service providers' or our JV partners' information technology and related systems, which have adversely affected, and could in the future adversely affect, our relationships with patients and business partners and subject us to legal claims and liabilities, reputational harm and business disruption and adversely affect our financial condition; (4) the highly competitive nature of the healthcare industry and continued industry trends towards clinical transparency and value-based purchasing may impact our competitive position; (5) inability to recruit and retain quality physicians, as well as increasing cost to contract with hospital-based physicians; (6) changes to physician utilization practices and treatment methodologies and other factors outside our control that impact demand for medical services and may reduce our revenues and ability to grow profitability; (7) continued industry trends toward value-based purchasing, third party payor consolidation and care coordination among healthcare providers; (8) inability to successfully complete acquisitions or strategic joint ventures ("JVs") or inability to realize all of the anticipated benefits; (9) liabilities because of professional liability and other claims brought against our hospitals, physician practices, outpatient facilities or other business operations; (10) exposure to certain risks and uncertainties by the JVs through which we conduct a significant portion of our operations, including anticipated synergies, of past acquisitions and the risk that transactions may not receive necessary government clearances; (11) failure to obtain drugs and medical supplies at favorable prices or sufficient volumes; (12) operational, legal and financial risks associated with outsourcing functions to third parties; (13) our facilities are heavily concentrated in Texas and Oklahoma, which makes us sensitive to regulatory, economic and competitive conditions and changes in those states; (14) negative impact of severe weather, climate change, and other factors beyond our control, which could restrict patient access to care or cause one or more facilities to close temporarily or permanently; (15) risks related to the Ventas Master Lease and its restrictions and limitations on our business; (16) the impact of our significant indebtedness; (17) the impact of a deterioration of public health conditions associated with a future pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease; (18) our failure to comply with complex laws and regulations applicable to the healthcare industry or to adjust our operations in response to changing laws and regulations; (19) the impact of governmental claims or governmental investigations, payor audits and litigation brought against our hospitals, physician practices, outpatient facilities or other business operations; (20) actual or perceived failures to comply with applicable data protection, privacy and security laws, regulations, standards and other requirements; (21) inability to or delay in building, acquiring, selling, renovating or expanding our healthcare facilities; (22) failure to comply with federal and state laws relating to Medicare and Medicaid enrollment, permit, licensing and accreditation requirements; (23) effects of current and future health reform initiatives, including any that may be undertaken by a new administration, and legal and regulatory restrictions on our hospitals that have physician owners; (24) inability to continually enhance our hospitals with the most recent technological advances in diagnostic and surgical equipment; (25) our status as a controlled company; (26) conflicts of interest between our controlling stockholder and other holders of our common stock; and (27) other risk factors described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Many of the important factors that will determine these results are beyond our ability to control or predict. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as otherwise required by law, we do not assume any obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. All references to "Company," "Ardent Health," "we," "our" and "us" as used throughout this release refer to Ardent Health Partners, Inc. and its affiliates, unless stated otherwise or indicated by context.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250226697351/en/

Media Relations: Rebecca Kirkham SVP, Chief Communications Officer Ardent Health rebecca.kirkham@ardenthealth.com (615) 296-3000

Investor Relations: Dave Styblo, CFA SVP, Investor Relations Ardent Health Investor.Relations@ardenthealth.com (615) 296-3016