Hospital Layoffs

Yes, it can happen at a hospital. This is the short version:

BUDGET CUTS - Hospital will reduce its budget to make up for a shortfall in patients and a jump in bad debt.

Here are the steps the hospital will take to cut its budget:

The hospital will lay off 32 workers and has not filled 21 positions in the past 60 days. More than 60 percent of the cost of running a hospital is related to personnel and benefits.

The hospital will delay the purchase of some equipment.

The hospital will reduce operating expenses such as memberships, advertising, consulting fees and agency personnel.

The hospital will institute a hiring freeze.

The hospital will close its Wound Care Center.

I have worked in healthcare since 1993 - all of that time for hospitals. There were rumors swirling all the time about possible layoffs, but I've never had the misfortune of experiencing such a devastating, life changing event. I hope patient care won't suffer (I guess it won't, since admissions are down 6%...). But, this happens often - http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Hospitals-ill-from-more-bad-apf-13922466.html

I admire those who run and maintain hospitals and realize they don't have an easy job of adhering to all of the regulations, poor reimbursement, expensive equipment, and not to mention, the care of sick people. Trouble is, though, I don't believe the proposed upcoming changes in health care really address the issues involved in providing care by hospitals. Don't get me wrong, I am making an assumption (yes, I know what happens when someone assumes...) of course, as I have not read any of the proposals yet to be released by the government over their plans to fix healthcare. But, as complicated as the problem is, I hope they bear in mind it can't all be fixed by throwing money at it (that's being done for everything else). We'll see...