91 percent of respondents to the survey, which was conducted in December, said they’ve reduced or are considering reducing staff, and 85 percent said they’ve implemented or are considering hiring freezes, according to the report.
The association said the survey revealed dramatic changes in three categories: a rise in charity care, decrease in hospital revenues and drop in the number of elective surgeries.
Conversely, the survey shows emergency room visits up at two-thirds of the hospitals, and the number of patients seeking behavioral health up at 38 percent of them.
The association found that hospitals are not only cutting jobs and services but also delaying vendor payments, halting pay raises, delaying construction and reducing administrative costs.
88 hospitals responded to the survey, with not all hospitals responding to every question.
Read The Tennessean’s report on the Tennessee Hospital Association financial crisis survey.
View a draft of the survey’s results available via The Tennessean’s Web site by clicking here (.doc).
