The largest nonprofit health systems, Ascension, CommonSpirit Health and Trinity Health, reported higher revenue in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 than in the same period a year earlier.
Ascension, a 142-hospital system based in St. Louis, reported operating revenue of $6.92 billion in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022, which ended Sept. 30, up 4.7 percent from the same period a year earlier. Net patient service revenue increased 6.8 percent year over year to $6.4 billion. During the three months ended Sept. 30, Ascension reported higher admissions and more emergency room, urgent care and physician office visits than in the same period of 2020. The health system ended the most recent quarter with an operating income of $24.9 million, compared to operating income of $143.5 million a year earlier.
CommonSpirit Health, a 140-hospital system based in Chicago, reported revenue of $8.55 billion in the three months ended Sept. 30, up 10.7 percent year over year. The increase was attributed to several factors, including higher patient volume levels, rate changes and new hospitals joining the system. Expenses also increased in the most recent quarter, driven by higher labor and supply costs. CommonSpirit ended the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 with an operating income of $34 million, compared to $167 million in the same period last year.
Trinity Health, an 89-hospital system based in Livonia, Mich., reported operating revenue of $4.97 billion in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared to $4.79 billion a year earlier. The health system ended the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 with an operating income of $233.53 million, up from $112.12 million a year earlier. Operating income in the most recent quarter included a $127.2 million gain on the sale of Gateway Health Plan, which Trinity sold in August.