PA hospitals' overall financial health improves

A new report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council concluded that while the overall financial health of the state's hospitals improved, small community hospitals in rural areas didn't perform as well. The agency concluded that many of the state's 170 hospitals improved their performance in fiscal 2007, though the rising cost of uncompensated care was a big issue. Uncompensated care was up $74 million this year, or 12.2 percent, to $678 million.

Among the best performances were the University of Pennsylvania Health System, whose dominant hospital, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, made almost $215 million from patient care last year, along with another $55 million in investment and endowment income. The hospital's operating margin was a whopping 14.28 percent in an area where 4 to 5 percent margin is considered a reasonable result. At the other end, Tenet-owned Hahnemann University Hospital had an operating margin of 18 percent, a loss of $65 million.

To find out more about the state's hospital market:
- read this article from The Philadelphia Inquirer

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