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| |  Declining Revenue Streams Strain Medical Centers
…A report released in April by the American Hospital Association, examining the impact of the nation’s economic crisis on patients, hospitals and communities, found that the proportion of ED patients without insurance rose in early 2009, compared with the same period a year ago. Also, more patient care was being funded by Medicaid or other programs aimed at low-income residents; and fewer patients were seeking inpatient and elective services. Meanwhile, almost half the hospitals responding to the survey reported cutting staff since September 2008; 80% reported cuts in administrative expenses; and many reported cutbacks in subsidized community services such as behavioral health, post-acute care, and patient education. … …Nurse Employment Suffering Across the nation, that tightrope walk has affected nurse employment in a variety of ways, such as layoffs, hiring or salary freezes, or reductions in benefits. Once-vigorous nurse recruitment efforts have waned in many parts of the country as RNs are hanging onto jobs they would otherwise have left or picking up extra hours to make ends meet…. …In St. Louis, the National Nurses Organizing Committee of the California Nurses Association has noted changes in staffing patterns at several local hospitals, says organizer Cindy Loudin. For instance, in one critical care unit, the usual 3-to-1 patient-to-RN ratio sometimes is now 4-to-1, she says. Also, RN positions are being left unfilled, and cutbacks in support staff have shifted duties to RNs…. …“Even if the economy is tight, does a patient deserve better care when the economy is better?” Loudin says. “We’re asking nurses to take a stand on that.”… http://news.nurse.com/article/20090824/NATIONAL01/108240029/-1/frontpage
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Aug 24, 2009, 07:51 PM
Re: Declining Revenue Streams Strain Medical Centers
I agree with this assessment, if Universal care becomes policy this trend will continue.
| | No. 3 |
Aug 24, 2009, 08:06 PM
Re: Declining Revenue Streams Strain Medical Centers
Gee, I wonder how many of those multiple layers of highly-paid executives are losing their jobs??
Don't expect me to feel sorry for hospitals.
| | No. 5 |
Aug 24, 2009, 08:43 PM
Re: Declining Revenue Streams Strain Medical Centers
Medicare has already cut 1/2 billion dollars of services. To insure all 15,000,000 how do you think the services will be covered?The Universal Health Care is planning on its Medicare Savings to pay for health care for all. Unless we increase taxes I don't see where this money is going to come from.
| | No. 7 |
Aug 26, 2009, 07:48 AM
Re: Declining Revenue Streams Strain Medical Centers Originally Posted by Lacie  Nursing staff being cut. The major medical center in my area just built a huge expansion and now layed off over 200 employees and have a hiring freeze also. The other hospital in our area also built a new hospital with all private rooms, expanded thier ER to twice it's previous size and guess what - also a hiring freeze with cuts in pay!!! Definitely something wrong with this picture.
Some building contracts are funded by grants and donations that can only be used for building structures. If that is the case, the money cannot be used for hospital operations. Also, many organizations that I know of are finishing building projects because they were already payed for or the new structure has high potential to increase patient volume/business which would generate more revenue.
| | No. 9 |
Aug 26, 2009, 05:48 PM
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