Benzinga | Aug 3, 2020 06:10AM EDT

The Ensign Group Acquires Post-Acute Care Campus in AZ, Financial Terms Not Disclosed

TheEnsign Group, Inc.(NASDAQ:ENSG) announced today that it acquired the real estate and operations of a post-acute care retirement campus located in Tempe, AZ. The acquisition was effective August 1, 2020. The acquisition includes Tempe Post Acute, a 62-bed skilled nursing facility and Desert Marigold Senior Living of Tempe a senior living center with 72 assisted living beds and 90 independent living units.

"We are very excited to add this well-respected healthcare campus to our mature operations in the greater Phoenix market" said Barry Port, Ensign's Chief Executive Officer. "As our first transaction since the COVID pandemic arrived at our door steps, our local leadership team in Arizona has taken extra precautions and have implemented a care plan to meet the needs of patients while closely following local and state guidelines. We have full confidence in our team's ability to add this operation in the midst of a pandemic and look forward to working with our new team," he added.

"This is a unique time to add an operation but our local team of clinical and operational leaders are amongst our most experienced transition teams that have participated in many acquisitions in Arizona," saidForrest Peterson, President of Bandera Healthcare LLC, Ensign's Arizona-based subsidiary. "We are also very impressed with the talented group of caregivers at these operations and look forward to working together to enhance the clinical outcomes and to take this operation to new heights," he added.

These acquisitions bring Ensign's growing portfolio to 226 healthcare operations, 24 of which also include assisted living operations, across thirteen states. Ensign owns the real estate at 92 healthcare operations. Mr. Port reaffirmed that Ensign is actively seeking opportunities to acquire real estate and to lease both well-performing and struggling skilled nursing, assisted living and other healthcare related businesses throughout the United States.