The Ensign Group Inc., which is the publicly held parent companyof the Ensign group of skilled nursing, rehabilitative careservices and assisted living companies, bought four skilled nursingfacilities in Texas and California for an aggregate price ofapproximately $10.4 million. Ensign bought the properties from oneof the company's longtime landlords via four separate Ensignholding subsidiaries. Together the facilities comprise 426 licensedskilled nursing beds.

Skilled Healthcare Group Inc., which is also publicly held,entered into an agreement to acquire seven assisted livingfacilities in Kansas from Medicalodges for an aggregate of $8.8million. Skilled Healthcare plans to operate the facilities throughits subsidiaries under the Vintage Park name.

The new Ensign assets include three in Texas and one inCalifornia Ensign subsidiaries have been operating the three Texasfacilities since 1999 and the California facility since 2001. Theoperating subsidiaries will continue to operate their facilitiesunder new long-term leases with the acquiring entities.