Having closed its acquisition of the home health and hospice assets divested by Amedisys as part of UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) deal, the Pennant Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PNTG) is now focused on how the deal will drive the company forward.

“We are excited to add these operations to Pennant,” Brent Guerisoli, CEO of Pennant, said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Thursday. “The United, Amedisys process created a unique opportunity to add high-quality assets in desirable markets at an attractive valuation, rarely seen on larger deals with sophisticated operators. As we’ve closed the transaction and dived into the businesses, our excitement has only grown. We have met many incredible leaders and team members who are deeply committed to their local communities.”

Eagle, Idaho-based Pennant is a holding company with independent operating subsidiaries that provide health care services. It has 141 home health and hospice agencies and 61 senior living communities.

Guerisoli noted that Pennant is in the process of integration, but long-term leaders at the company see major potential in these newly added operations.

Pennant’s leaders are looking to its acquisition of Signature Healthcare at Home’s assets as a model for the integration process for its latest Amedisys transaction.

“The Signature acquisition was similar, in many respects, to this most recent deal,” Guerisoli said. “Signature enjoyed a deserved reputation as a quality operator, and we saw that we could build on their legacy through the Pennant model. Signature’s transition has been a tremendous success. We have seen former Signature leaders enthusiastically embrace the Pennant model and culture and lift their operations to new heights. They have expressed how they now feel unlocked, capable of owning their operations and empowered to grow.”

Empowering local leaders has long been a key element of Pennant’s acquisition strategy.

Guerisoli believes that its new operations, stemming from the Amedisys acquisition, will show that Pennant’s model provides value in both turnaround situations and solidly performing operations.

While the industry awaits the delayed announcement of the 2026 home health final payment rule, Guerisoli explained that Pennant would withstand the proposed 6.4% reduction in Medicare payments.

“At present, the uncertainty surrounding the 2026 home health rule has cast a pall over the industry, but Pennant is not a passive index tied to home health reimbursement rates,” he said. “With less than 20% of our revenue arising from Medicare home health fee-for-service reimbursement, we are a diversified post-acute provider with strengths across hospice, senior living and home health, and more importantly, we are a locally-driven leadership company that empowers leaders to adapt proactively to external challenges.”

Still, Guerisoli stressed that the company would continue to advocate against the proposed rule, calling it “bad for patients, providers and taxpayers.”

One of Pennant’s advocacy efforts has been its ‘Rule Response Team,’ which the company formed to address the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) rulemaking.

Overall, Pennant’s total revenue for Q3 was $229 million, compared to $180.6 million in Q3 2024, a 26.8% increase year-over-year.