Report Links Nursing Home Agency Staffing to Ownership Turnover
A report from 3G Healthcare Real Estate finds nursing homes with heavy reliance on agency staffing are substantially more likely to undergo a change of ownership (CHOW) within two years. Using CMS payroll and ownership filings, the report found facilities drawing 15% or more of nursing hours from agency staff had an 11.8% two-year CHOW rate, versus 7.5% for buildings under 2% agency use, with North Carolina and Pennsylvania showing rates two to three times higher among heavy agency users. Industry sources quoted say agency reliance signals operational and cash-flow stress that predates survey citations or cost-report problems, and that buyers often use post-sale agency reduction as a key indicator of turnaround viability. The report's author notes no state currently incorporates agency staffing data into licensing or ownership-transfer approvals, though some regulate agencies directly through registration or rate caps.