Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth ended fiscal year 2025 with a -2.4% operating margin, down from a 1.5% gain in the previous year, according to financial documents published Nov. 11.
Six things to know:
1. CoxHealth reported a $58 million operating loss in the year ended Sept. 30, compared to $35 million in operating income in fiscal 2024. Total operating revenue increased 3% year over year to $2.42 billion, while expenses grew more than 7% to $2461 billion.
2. Labor costs continued to pressure margins. Salaries, wages and benefits rose 8.6% year over year to $1.12 billion. IT implementation costs also more than doubled to $14.3 million.
3. After factoring in investment returns and other nonoperating income, CoxHealth posted a $64.5 million net income, down from $198 million in fiscal 2024.
4. CoxHealth ended the year with 248 days cash on hand — compared to 242 the previous fiscal year — and a 2.8x debt service coverage ratio. The system’s total cash and investments stood at $1.6 billion as of Sept. 30, 2025.
5. Patient volume remained stable. Admissions fell slightly to 44,784 while total provider encounters grew to nearly 2 million for the year. Outpatient visits and urgent care visits also ticked up slightly year over year.
6. CoxHealth is a six-hospital, 1,074-bed health system with more than 100 clinics across Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas, according to its website.
