ALSO NOTED: Investment losses put UPMC in the red; Shriners St. Louis fires financial official over "irregularities"; and much

> It was bad financial news for the usually-profitable University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which lost $7 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2008 after suffering steep losses on its investment portfolio. Article

> St. Louis-based Shriners Hospital for Children has fired a financial official over unnamed "financial irregularities" and turned the matter over to authorities. Articles

> Johnston Memorial Hospital of Smithfield, NC has secured a $137 million government-backed loan to finance a planned expansion and build a new medical center. Article

> The new owners of financially-struggling St. Francis Hospital & Health Center are facing a tough challenge in turning the beleaguered non-profit around. Article

And Finally...  Nice thinking, buddy. Maybe you shouldn't have inhaled before you came to court. Article