About Richard Matros
Richard Matros, chairman and CEO of Sabra Health Care REIT, said in a September 2024 interview that the company is focused on earnings growth and is prepared to expand across all its current asset classes, including skilled nursing. He noted that the company’s skilled nursing margins have returned to pre-pandemic levels and that operators are "upbeat for the first time in four years." Matros stated that Sabra issued guidance for the first time since the pandemic and is showing earnings growth for the first time in that period, adding that there is "a really nice runway to growth both in SHOP and in skilled nursing" and that the company is now looking at acquisitions.
Matros has also spoken about his personal background and philanthropic activities. In a March 2024 podcast, he discussed his involvement with IsraAID US and other nonprofit organizations, as well as his work with Healing Ink, a project that brings tattoo artists to Israel to work with survivors of terror attacks and veterans. In earlier interviews, Matros described his career path from an activity director in a nursing home to leading a REIT, and emphasized the importance of surrounding oneself with smart people, encouraging creative thinking, and maintaining a flat organizational structure. He has also advocated for greater recognition and support for skilled nursing facilities and their staff, particularly during the pandemic.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Richard Matros's recent appearances.
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Transcript (5 segments)
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Interviewer0:00
What growth prospects are, what the acquisition pipeline looks like, and will we choose to grow? So for us, it's a pretty easy answer: we'll grow in any of the asset classes that we're currently in.
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Richard Matros0:11
I'm here today with Rick Matos, chair and CEO of Sabra Healthcare. Is there a common theme or question that investors are raising, and how are you responding?
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Interviewer0:20
Primarily, I'd say, what growth prospects are, what the acquisition pipeline looks like, and will we choose to grow? So for us, it's a pretty easy answer: we'll grow in any of the asset classes that we're currently in, wherever the opportunities are, because we're just focused on earnings growth. We've diversified the REIT enough. For example, people will say, 'Well, you've been reducing your exposure to skilled nursing. Does that mean you don't want to buy more skilled nursing?' No, we do. We just wanted to be a little more diversified and not just be classified as a skilled nursing REIT. But we can do $100 million in skilled nursing deals tomorrow, and it would only up our exposure by less than 1%. So we're just in a good place as far as that goes.
Where do you see the greatest growth potential for Sabra in the second half of the year and into 2025, in our shop portfolio? And is there a particular project or initiative currently underway that you are especially excited about in terms of its ability to generate growth and enhance shareholder value?
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Richard Matros1:22
I would say no. I think there's more of a general excitement about the company and the spaces we're in, because we're out of the pandemic. Our skilled nursing margins are back to where they were before the pandemic. When we talk with our operators, they actually are upbeat for the first time in four years. So we're really just more excited about the fact that it looks like we have a really nice runway to growth, both in shop and in skilled nursing, and now looking at doing some acquisitions. We put guidance out for the first time since the pandemic, and we're showing earnings growth for the first time since the pandemic. So I think more of a general excitement about getting back to being a regular REIT again and growing the company the way we want to grow it.
