SunLink Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE American: SSY) today announced a loss from continuing operations of $934,000 (or a loss of $0.13 per fully diluted share) for its third fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to a loss from continuing operations of $473,000 (or a loss of $0.07 per fully diluted share) for the third fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2021.

Provider Relief Funds (“PRF”) of $106,000 (pre-tax) were reported as income in the quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to $11,000 (pre-tax) in the quarter ended March 31, 2021. Our Healthcare and Pharmacy segments have received approximately $6,173,000 in general and targeted PRF distributions during the period April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022. The PRF funds were received under the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act enacted in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PRF distributions have been accounted for as government grants and are recognized as other income.

Net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 was $990,000 (or a loss of $0.14 per fully diluted share) compared to a net loss of $531,000 (or a loss of $0.08 per fully diluted share) for the quarter ended March 31, 2021.

Consolidated net revenues for the quarters ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 were $10,527,000 and $9,778,000, respectively, an increase of 7.7% in the current year’s quarter compared to the comparable quarter of the prior fiscal year. Net revenues increased in the current fiscal quarter primarily due to an increase in Healthcare Services Segment net revenues and increased Pharmacy Segment institutional and retail pharmacy net revenues.

SunLink reported an operating loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 of $1,064,000 compared to an operating loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 of $540,000. The increased loss was due primarily to higher costs of goods sold, salaries, wages and benefits, and purchased services. The Company is experiencing substantial increases in its salaries and in wage rates, as well as difficulty hiring for new and replacement staff. As a result, the Company, particularly in the Healthcare Services Segment, has incurred higher costs for temporary staff, agency staffing and overtime.

Loss from discontinued operations was $56,000 (or a loss of $0.01 per fully diluted share) for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to a loss from discontinued operations of $58,000 (or a loss of $0.01 per fully diluted share) for the quarter ended March 31, 2021.

For the nine months ended March 31, 2022, SunLink reported earnings from continuing operations of $595,000 ($0.08 per fully diluted share) compared to earnings from continuing operations of $2,382,000 ($0.34 per fully diluted share) for the nine months ended March 31, 2021. Net earnings for the nine months ended March 31, 2022 were $356,000 ($0.05 per fully diluted share) compared to net earnings of $2,203,000 ($0.32 per fully diluted share) for the nine months ended March 31, 2021. Forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Plan (“PPP”) loans and PRF income were $3,730,000 (pre-tax) in the nine months ended March 31, 2022, $3,010,000 of which was received last fiscal year and $720,000 which was received in quarter ended December 31, 2021.

Consolidated net revenues for the nine months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 were $31,463,000 and $30,350,000, respectively, an increase of 3.7% in the current year’s nine months compared to the comparable period of the prior fiscal year. The net revenues increased in the current nine-month period due primarily to increased Pharmacy Segment institutional pharmacy and durable medical equipment revenues and increased hospital net revenues in the Healthcare Services Segment.

Capital expenditures for the nine months ended March 31, 2022 were $2,436,000. The majority of the expenditures were under its previously announced Trace Forward Capital Plan which expands, upgrades and improves the physical plant, patient care, ancillary services at our Trace hospital and for capitalizable durable medical equipment purchased by the Pharmacy Segment, which is then rented to customers. Remaining commitments under the Trace Forward Capital Plan approximate $431,000 at March 31, 3022.

Loss from discontinued operations was $239,000 (or a loss of $0.03 per fully diluted share) for the nine months ended March 31, 2022 compared to a loss from discontinued operations of $179,000 (or a loss of $0.03 per fully diluted share) for the nine months ended March 31, 2021.

COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. We have been monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our operations, and we have taken significant steps intended to minimize the risk to our employees and patients. Certain employees have been working remotely, but we believe these remote work arrangements have not materially affected our ability to maintain critical business operations, which are being conducted substantially in accordance with our understanding of applicable government health and safety protocols and guidance issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, although such protocols and guidance have changed frequently and at times been unclear. Nevertheless, as in many healthcare environments, we have experienced COVID-19 illness, including deaths, and some employees have tested positive and were placed on leave or in quarantine. We believe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and certain of the public and governmental responses to it have negatively affected our last eight quarters’ results.

In late December 2020, we began receiving allotments of COVID-19 vaccine and, when vaccinating patients, providers, employees and staff, have done so in accordance with our understanding of the Federal protocols and guidelines in the states where we operate. Not all such individuals have been vaccinated to date and some individuals have not consented to vaccination. The Company and its subsidiaries are currently developing and implementing plans to vaccinate employees to the extent required by the final rules issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Company believes the vaccine mandates may result in the further loss of certain staff, including clinical staff, which may impact the Company’s ability to maintain the current levels of service.

In our Healthcare Services businesses, we have experienced material reductions in demand and net revenues due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Currently, there continues to be reduced demand for certain hospital services, and for extended care, rehabilitation center and nursing home admissions, and clinic visits compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Pharmacy business has experienced reduced sales trends in certain areas, increased costs and reduced staff. Many of our primary physician referral sources have operated at reduced capacity, and until these referral sources resume operations at full capacity, we believe the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to affect the demand for DME products and Retail and Institutional Pharmacy drugs and products. Reductions in employee hours have been made in response to the lower demand. Extended care facilities and rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and other customers of our Institutional Pharmacy services continue to be adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Institutional Pharmacy services have experienced increased costs and operational inefficiencies due to measures taken to protect our employees and access controls and other restrictions implemented by our institutional customers. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected our supply processes, especially with respect to access to respiratory equipment and certain personal protective equipment and cleaning products.

During the quarter ended June 30, 2020, our Healthcare and Pharmacy segments received $3,234,000 in PPP loans provided under the CARES Act. These loans were forgivable upon compliance with conditions specified under the PPP loan program and, as of December 31, 2021, all our PPP loans have been forgiven and recognized as other income.

Our Healthcare Services and Pharmacy Segments have received approximately $6,173,000 in general and targeted PRF distributions during the period April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022. The PRF distributions have been accounted for as government grants, and a total of $5,642,000 has been recognized since April l, 2020 as other income.

The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted December 27, 2020, made a number of changes to employer retention tax credits previously made available under the CARES Act, including modifying and extending the Employee Retention Credit ("ERC") for the six calendar months ending June 30, 2021. As a result of such legislation, the Company qualified for ERC for the first and second calendar quarters of 2021 due to the decrease in its gross receipts and recognized ERC of $3,586,000 as a reduction of salaries, wages and benefits in its fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. Subsequent to March 31, 2022, the Company has received $1,747,000 of ERC applied for. We continue to monitor compliance with the terms and conditions of the ERC and PPP programs and developing interpretations and enforcement of the ERC and PPP programs rules and regulations.

PRF distributions are not subject to repayment provided we are able to attest to and comply with the terms and conditions of the funding, including demonstrating that the funds received have been used for designated, allowable healthcare-related expenses and capital expenditures attributable to COVID-19 and for "Lost Revenues" as defined by the Department of Health & Human Services. We continue to monitor compliance with the terms and conditions of the PRF program and developing interpretations and enforcement of PRF program rules and regulations and the impact of the pandemic on our revenues and expenses. If we are unable to attest to or comply with current or future terms and conditions, and there is no assurance we will be able to do so, our ability to retain some or all of the PRF received may be impacted, and we may have to return the unutilized portion of those funds, if any, in the future.

The Company is unable to determine the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to affect its assets and operations. Our ability to make estimates of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on revenues, expenses or changes in accounting judgments that have had or are reasonably likely to have a material effect on our financial statements is currently limited. The nature and extent of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our balance sheet and results of operations will depend on the severity and length of the pandemic; government actions to mitigate the pandemic's effect; regulatory changes in response to the pandemic, especially those that affect our hospital, extended care, rehabilitation center, nursing home, clinics, and our pharmacy operations; existing and potential government assistance that may be provided; and the requirements of the CARES Act programs and other pandemic assistance which may affect our ability to retain such funds received thereunder.

SunLink Health Systems, Inc. is the parent company of subsidiaries that own and operate healthcare properties and businesses in the Southeast. Each of the Company’s businesses is operated locally with a strategy of linking patients’ needs with healthcare professionals. For additional information on SunLink Health Systems, Inc., please visit the Company’s website.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, without limitation, statements regarding the company’s business strategy. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results, performance, and achievements to differ materially from those anticipated. Certain of those risks, uncertainties and other factors are disclosed in more detail in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2021 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission which can be located at www.sec.gov.

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