The Ensign Group, Inc. Reports First Quarter 200...( Conference Call and Webcast Sched...),Health

Conference Call and Webcast Scheduled for May 8, 2008 at 2:00 pm ET

MISSION VIEJO, Calif., May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Ensign Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENSG), the parent company of the Ensign(TM) group of skilled nursing, rehabilitative care services and assisted living companies, today reported results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2008.
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Highlights of the First Quarter Include:

-- Organic revenue was up 13.1%, total revenue was up 16.1% and skilled

revenue was up 24.1% over the first quarter of 2007;

-- EBITDAR was up 28.9% to $17.3 million vs. $13.4 million in the first

quarter of 2007;

-- EBITDAR margins rose 150 basis points to 15.2% vs. 13.7% in the first

quarter of 2007, and same-store EBITDAR margins rose 176 basis points

to 15.6%;

-- EBITDA was up 43.6% to $13.3 million vs. $9.2 million in the first

quarter of 2007;

-- Same store occupancy rose 147 basis points to 79.8% of licensed beds,

and 168 basis points to 83.0% of operational beds;

-- Maturing 2006 acquisitions led the census jump, with an increase of 420

basis points in occupancy in operational beds;

-- Quality mix was 56.3% vs. 54.3% in the prior year's first quarter;

-- Consolidated net income was up 53.1% to $6.3 million vs. $4.1 million

in the first quarter of 2007; and

-- Fully diluted earnings per share was $0.31 vs. $0.24 a year ago.

Operating Results

For the quarter ended March 31, 2008, total revenue was $113.8 million, up 16.1% compared to $98.
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