Company Description
National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) is a senior health care company whose affiliates operate a broad network of post-acute and long-term care facilities and services. NHC’s operations are focused on senior care and post-acute health services, and its common stock trades on the NYSE American under the symbol NHC. The company is described in multiple Business Wire releases as the nation’s oldest publicly traded senior health care and long-term health care company.
According to company disclosures, NHC affiliates operate for themselves and third parties 80 skilled nursing facilities with more than ten thousand beds. These facilities provide skilled nursing and related care for seniors and other patients who need ongoing clinical support and rehabilitation after hospital stays or for chronic conditions. Skilled nursing operations are a major part of NHC’s inpatient services and are a central focus of its business model.
NHC affiliates also operate 26 assisted living communities and nine independent living communities. Assisted living communities provide residential settings for seniors who need help with daily activities, while independent living communities serve seniors who are more self-sufficient but prefer a community environment. Together, these senior living settings expand NHC’s presence across the continuum of long-term care beyond traditional nursing facilities.
Beyond skilled nursing and senior living, NHC affiliates operate three behavioral health hospitals. These hospitals add a behavioral health component to the company’s care offerings, serving patients with mental and behavioral health needs. NHC also operates 34 homecare agencies and 33 hospice agencies, reflecting a significant presence in home health and hospice services. Homecare agencies provide health services in patients’ homes, while hospice agencies focus on end-of-life care and support.
The company states that its other services include Alzheimer’s and memory care units, pharmacy services, and a rehabilitation services company. These operations support both NHC-operated facilities and, in some cases, third-party operators. NHC also provides management and accounting services to third party post-acute operators, indicating that part of its business involves managing or supporting facilities that it does not directly own.
In its segment reporting, NHC identifies Inpatient services and Home care hospice services as reportable segments. Inpatient services include skilled nursing and other facility-based care, while home care hospice services encompass home health and hospice operations. The company has disclosed that a majority of its revenue is generated from inpatient services, underscoring the importance of skilled nursing and facility-based operations within its overall business.
NHC has also described an acquisition of White Oak operations, which consist of 22 healthcare operations, including 15 skilled nursing facilities, two assisted living facilities, four independent living facilities, and a long-term care pharmacy. These operations are incorporated into NHC’s broader network of facilities and services, expanding its footprint in skilled nursing, senior living, and pharmacy services.
The company’s disclosures highlight that NHC affiliates operate facilities both for themselves and for third parties. This indicates that, in addition to owning or leasing facilities, NHC is involved in operating or managing facilities on behalf of other owners. The provision of management and accounting services to third party post-acute operators supports this structure and suggests that NHC’s expertise extends beyond direct facility operations into administrative and operational support.
NHC’s operations are concentrated in the health care and social assistance sector, with an industry focus on general medical and surgical hospitals and related post-acute and long-term care settings. Its business model spans multiple care settings—skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, behavioral health, homecare, and hospice—along with ancillary services such as pharmacy, rehabilitation, and management services. This multi-segment structure allows NHC to participate in various parts of the senior care continuum.
In addition to its operating profile, NHC has disclosed that its common stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is listed on the NYSE American. The company files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Form 8-K filings that describe material events such as earnings announcements, dividends, lease matters, and changes in its board and executive leadership.
From a governance perspective, NHC’s filings describe a board of directors that includes independent directors as defined by the NYSE American Company Guide. The company has disclosed appointments to its board and committee assignments, such as service on the Audit Committee, and has noted that non-employee directors receive standard non-employee director compensation and enter into director and officer indemnification agreements. NHC has also reported executive leadership changes, including planned retirements and role transitions among senior officers.
NHC’s regulatory filings and earnings releases frequently reference non-GAAP financial measures, explaining that these measures are presented to help investors assess the ongoing nature of operations and compare performance across periods. The company provides reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP figures in its earnings materials, emphasizing that non-GAAP information is intended as a supplement to GAAP financial information rather than a replacement.
Overall, National HealthCare Corporation represents a publicly traded senior health care company with a diversified set of operations across skilled nursing facilities, senior living communities, behavioral health hospitals, homecare and hospice agencies, and related ancillary services. Its focus on senior and post-acute care, combined with facility operations for itself and third parties and the provision of management and accounting services, defines the core of its business model as presented in its public disclosures.