Hospitals' financial health improving

While things aren't exactly easy in hospital land, it appears that their financial health is improving overall, according to a new study released Wednesday. A Thomson Reuters piece found that all classes and sizes of hospitals--including large community hospitals and teaching hospitals--have developed better margins than they had previously.

This is a big change from last summer, when more than half of the hospitals in the U.S. lost money. Now, as of earlier this year, only one-third of facilities remained in the red, according to a report from the Dallas Morning News.

According to Thomson Reuters, hospitals have done well with cost-cutting initiatives, and what's more, the broader economy is improving. As the economy continues to recover, it will be critical to watch key metrics of hospital performance and see whether they stay in shape, analysts suggest.

To learn more about this analysis:
- read this Kaiser Health News piece [1]

Related Articles:
AHA: Hospital margins down for fourth quarter [2]
PA hospitals' margins up, but uncompensated care rises [3]
AHA survey: Negative profit margins for hospitals [4]
New research says U.S. hospitals in trouble [5]