Surveying 75 hospitals, about half of its membership, the association found that hospitals have already implemented the following cuts:
- 48 percent have already enacted layoffs;
- 67 percent have not filled vacancies;
- 37 percent have reduced or eliminated services;
- 12 percent have canceled or delayed expansion or renovation projects; and
- 81 percent have taken other cost-cutting measures.
The survey, performed earlier this month, also found that hospitals have the following plans for the future:
- 18 percent plan to lay off additional employees;
- 50 percent will leave future vacancies unfilled;
- 39 percent plan to reduce or eliminate services;
- 49 percent plan to cancel or delay expansion or renovation projects; and
- 64 percent will take additional cost-cutting measures.
Specifically, hospitals have already reduced or eliminated or are considering reducing or eliminating the following:
- Cardiac catheterization and rehabilitation
- Oncology and cancer radiation
- Trauma designation
- Radiation therapy
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Outpatient psychiatric services
- Home health and hospice
- Ambulance services
- Skilled nursing units
- Occupational health
The association added that workforce cuts so far range from five employees to 500 per facility, totaling at least 2,842 full-time equivalents.
Read the Ohio Hospital Association’s report on hospitals’ service reductions (pdf).
