The report, based on CMS data analyzed by the American Hospital Directory, likens these highly-profitable hospitals to companies like Pfizer and GE, both of which have similar profit margins. Comparatively, the median operating margin for a 200-plus bed hospital was – 0.7 percent last year, according to the report.
More than half of the 25 hospitals on the list (all have 200 or more beds) are owned by for-profit operators, such as CHS and HCA.
Here are the top 5:
1. Flowers Medical Center (Dothan, Ala.) — 53 percent operating margin.
2. Del Sol Medical Center (El Paso, Texas) — 45 percent operating margin.
3. Rochester (Minn.) Methodist Hospital — 37 percent operating margin.
4. St. Luke’s Hospital (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) — 36 percent operating margin.
5. Seton Medical Center Austin (Texas) — 34 percent operating margin.
Forbes notes that at least one hospital disputed the figures. Flowers Hospital said it overstated its revenue by $180 million in its CMS report, according to the Forbes piece.
Read the Forbes list of the most profitable hospitals.
