Re: The economic impact of the recession of hospitals.
"I'm curious if these same issues are being seem throughout the US or is it just a regional thing."
I can assure you that this is occurring nationwide. I work in a very large not-for-profit healthcare system and our CEO has been clear that ALL of the hospitals within the system have been reporting increases in bad debt, more difficulites with collections and general financial constraints that are weighing down the system. Our facility had been cash flow positive and profitable for only the last few years and the word is that moving forward, losses will be considerable. Austerity programs have been initiated, with a public announcement of a 5% workforce reduction and a temporary call for nonclinical personnel to move to either a 36-hr workweek or to voluntarily take 3 days PTO each month until the workforce reductions can be realized.
I have lost my clerical staff, with the office manager telling me that the rest of the office staff will pitch in to cover her responsibilities, but that I should be ready to cover unmet needs if necessary. I started making my own patient confirmation calls this week and faxing my consulatation to my referring doc's myself.
aj
AI
