Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq: CCRN) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2021.

SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

“We entered the year on a very positive trajectory, with solid execution, higher productivity, and exceptional performance," said Kevin Clark, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer for Cross Country Healthcare. He continued, "This was the single largest revenue quarter in our Company's history and was fueled by our passionate, tireless efforts to deliver the critical professionals needed across the country."

First quarter consolidated revenue was $329.2 million, an increase of 57% year-over-year and 53% sequentially. Consolidated gross profit margin was 21.7%, down 190 basis points year-over-year and 350 basis points sequentially. Net income attributable to common shareholders was $19.4 million compared to a net loss of $2.1 million in the prior year and net income of $4.6 million in the prior quarter. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) was $0.53 per share compared to a loss of $0.06 per share in the prior year and income of $0.13 per share in the prior quarter. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) was $26.7 million or 8.1% of revenue, as compared with $4.6 million or 2.2% of revenue in the prior year, and $11.5 million or 5.3% of revenue in the prior quarter. Adjusted EPS was $0.58 compared to a loss of $0.01 in the prior year and income of $0.19 in the prior quarter.

Quarterly Business Segment Highlights

In the first quarter of 2021, the Company modified its reportable segments to the following two reportable segments – Nurse and Allied Staffing and Physician Staffing. Previously reported Search segment results have been reclassified to Nurse and Allied Staffing. See accompanying tables below.

Nurse and Allied Staffing

Revenue was $313.0 million, an increase of 63% year-over-year and 57% sequentially. Contribution income was $37.4 million, an increase compared to $13.8 million in the prior year and $22.8 million in the prior quarter. Average field contract personnel on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis were 6,614 as compared with 7,145 in the prior year and 5,798 in the prior quarter. Revenue per FTE per day was $522 compared to $290 in the prior year and $368 in the prior quarter. As a result of the rise in demand and a tight labor market, our average travel bill rates increased due to the increases in pay rates required to attract healthcare professionals. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), we have worked with our clients to adjust bill rates, both increasing and decreasing rates as necessary, to provide critical healthcare professionals.

Physician Staffing

Revenue was $16.2 million, a decrease of 11% year-over-year and 1% sequentially. Contribution income was $1.4 million, an increase compared to $0.6 million in the prior year and $0.9 million in the prior quarter. Total days filled were 9,469 as compared with 10,199 in the prior year and 9,911 in the prior quarter. Revenue per day filled was $1,714 as compared with $1,783 in the prior year and $1,658 in the prior quarter.

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet Highlights

Cash flow used in operations for the quarter was $24.9 million compared to cash flow provided by operations of $17.2 million in the prior year and $1.9 million in the prior quarter, primarily due to strong sequential revenue growth which resulted in a $76.6 million increase in receivables since the start of the year. Days' sales outstanding was 56 days as of March 31, 2021, flat year-over-year and down 2 days sequentially.

At March 31, 2021, the Company had $13.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, $96.0 million of borrowings drawn under its asset-based loan facility (ABL), and $18.5 million of letters of credit outstanding. Availability under the ABL is subject to a borrowing base, which was $150.0 million as of March 31, 2021, with $35.5 million available for borrowing as of March 31, 2021.

Outlook for Second Quarter 2021

The guidance below applies to management’s expectations for the second quarter of 2021.

The above estimates are based on current management expectations and, as such, are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially. The above ranges do not include the potential impact of any future divestitures, mergers, acquisitions, or other business combinations, changes in debt structure, or future share repurchases. We expect COVID-19 will continue to impact our business throughout the second quarter, with average bill rates remaining higher than the prior year though declining sequentially for certain assignments, as well as lower demand for certain services such as locum tenens, education, and search. See accompanying non-GAAP financial measures and tables below.

INVITATION TO CONFERENCE CALL

The Company will hold its quarterly conference call on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time to discuss its first quarter 2021 financial results. This call will be webcast live and can be accessed at the Company’s website at ir.crosscountryhealthcare.com or by dialing 888-566-1099 from anywhere in the U.S. or by dialing 773-799-3716 from non-U.S. locations - Passcode: Cross Country. A replay of the webcast will be available from May 5th through May 19th at the Company’s website and a replay of the conference call will be available by telephone by calling 800-510-0118 from anywhere in the U.S. or 203-369-3808 from non-U.S. locations - Passcode: 2021.

ABOUT CROSS COUNTRY HEALTHCARE

Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (CCH) is a leader in providing total talent management including strategic workforce solutions, contingent staffing, permanent placement, and consultative services for healthcare customers. Leveraging our 35 years of industry expertise and insight, CCH solves complex labor-related challenges for customers while providing high-quality outcomes and exceptional patient care. As a multi-year Best of Staffing^® Award winner, CCH is committed to an exceptionally high level of service to both our clients and our healthcare professionals. CCH was the first publicly traded staffing firm to obtain The Joint Commission Certification, which it still holds with a Letter of Distinction. In February 2021, CCH earned Energage’s inaugural 2021 Top Workplaces USA award. CCH has a longstanding history of investing in its diversity, equality, and inclusion strategic initiatives as a key component of the organization’s overall corporate social responsibility program which is closely aligned with its core values to create a better future for its people, communities, the planet, and its shareholders.

Copies of this and other news releases as well as additional information about the Company can be obtained online at ir.crosscountryhealthcare.com. Shareholders and prospective investors can also register to automatically receive the Company’s press releases, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other notices by e-mail.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This press release and the accompanying financial statement tables reference non-GAAP financial measures, such as gross profit margin, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EPS. Such non-GAAP financial measures are provided as additional information and should not be considered substitutes for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Such non-GAAP financial measures are provided for consistency and comparability to prior year results; furthermore, management believes they are useful to investors when evaluating the Company's performance as they exclude certain items that management believes are not indicative of the Company's future operating performance. Pro forma measures, if applicable, are adjusted to include the results of our acquisitions, and exclude the results of divestments, as if the transactions occurred in the beginning of the periods mentioned. Such non-GAAP financial measures may differ materially from the non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The financial statement tables that accompany this press release include a reconciliation of each non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure and a more detailed discussion of each financial measure; as such, the financial statement tables should be read in conjunction with the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

In addition to historical information, this press release contains statements relating to our future results (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, and are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events. Words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "suggests", "appears", "seeks", "will", "could", and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results and performance to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following: the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, our ability to attract and retain qualified nurses, physicians and other healthcare personnel, costs and availability of short-term housing for our travel healthcare professionals, demand for the healthcare services we provide, both nationally and in the regions in which we operate, the functioning of our information systems, the effect of cyber security risks and cyber incidents on our business, the effect of existing or future government regulation and federal and state legislative and enforcement initiatives on our business, our clients’ ability to pay us for our services, our ability to successfully implement our acquisition and development strategies, including our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies from such acquisitions, the effect of liabilities and other claims asserted against us, the effect of competition in the markets we serve, our ability to successfully defend the Company, its subsidiaries, and its officers and directors on the merits of any lawsuit or determine its potential liability, if any, and other factors set forth in Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and in our other filings with the SEC. You should consult any further disclosures the Company makes on related subjects in its filings with the SEC.

Although we believe that these statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we cannot guarantee future results and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s opinions only as of the date of this press release. There can be no assurance that (i) we have correctly measured or identified all of the factors affecting our business or the extent of these factors’ likely impact, (ii) the available information with respect to these factors on which such analysis is based is complete or accurate, (iii) such analysis is correct, and/or (iv) our strategy, which is based in part on this analysis, will be successful. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements. All references to "we", "us", "our", or "Cross Country" in this press release mean Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

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