Articles and Blogs

After years of publishing the Weekly Health Care Real Estate Briefing, Andrew Dick and Joel Swider will be making a few changes to the format. No, they aren’t throwing in the towel. For most of their professional careers, Andrew and Joel have represented hospitals and health systems around the country on real estate transactions.... READ MORE

VMG released its 2025 Health System Leader Expectations Survey. Key findings inlcude: (1) recruitment and retention of physicians and expansion of the provider network are top challenges; (2) increased volumes and easing labor pressures will lead to stable or improved financial performance; and (3) health care leaders are most open to JVs in outpatient... READ MORE

Mercy Health (MO) is the latest health care company to take over vacant Walmart Health locations. Mercy has reopened three Walmart Health locations in Fort Smith, Rogers and Springdale, Arkansas. In April 2024, Walmart announced that it would close all 51 of its health clinics and shut down its virtual care platform. Hancock Health... READ MORE

President Trump’s first week in office ushered in a number of changes to health care policies, including an executive order rescinding President Biden’s executive order on lowering prescription drug costs. The president also selected Dorothy Fink, MD, as interim HHS Secretary. Nonprofit hospitals’ credit downgrades outpaced credit upgrades in 2024, according to a recent article. The... READ MORE

VMG Health published its Health System Leader Expectations for 2025. Key takeaways include: (1) Physician recruitment and retention is a top priority; (2) Increased utilization is the main driver of positive financial performance; (3) More value-based arrangements are expected this year; (4) Joint ventures will remain popular, especially in the ASC and behavioral health spaces;... READ MORE

The sale of Ascension’s 11 Illinois hospitals for $375M to Prime Healthcare has received regulatory approval. The transaction is part of Ascension’s strategic realignment of its health care facilities to focus on outpatient care. Advocate Health Care, the largest health system in Illinois, plans to invest $1B over the next decade to expand its... READ MORE

The Federal Reserve slashed interest rates by a quarter-point, the third consecutive meeting where it has lowered borrowing costs. For 2025, the Fed projected just two rate cuts, down from the four the Fed had predicted in September. Health systems have increased the rate at which they are buying back outpatient medical buildings from... READ MORE

Brookdale Senior Living announced it will not be renewing its master lease with Ventas for 120 senior living communities. The master lease expires at the end of 2025. Brookdale cited rent increases of 3% to 10% upon renewal, along with historical negative cash flow from the communities as reasons for not renewing the lease.... READ MORE

A recent report found that financial stability and margins improved for nearly half of rural hospitals after a merger, acquisition or affiliation with a larger system. More than a quarter of rural hospitals currently have negative operating margins. As inpatient stays shorten, providers are shifting capital investments from acute-care hospital facilities to outpatient construction... READ MORE

PwC and the Urban Land Institute released their Emerging Trends in Real Estate for 2025. Key takeaways: 1) the top 5 markets to watch are Dallas, Miami, Houston, Tampa and Nashville; 2) optimism is growing in the real estate industry as interest rates have dropped; 3) demand for data centers is soaring with the... READ MORE