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Hospitals feel weight of poor economy

Patient Safety Monitor, April 1, 2009

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Patient Safety Monitor.

Many hospitals are beginning to see the effects of the recession as leaders cut budgets, postponing expansions and renovations, and philanthropists decrease their annual giving. The American Hospital Association (AHA) conducted a survey in November 2008 titled The Capital Crisis: Survey of Impact on Hospitals, which queried nonfederal hospital CEOs about the state of the industry. The report found that 38% of hospitals have seen a decrease in philanthropic giving since November 2008. Also, more than 50% of hospitals have postponed or considered postponing expansion or renovation projects. More alarming statistics to come out of the AHA survey show that half of hospitals have put capital projects on hold or stopped projects already in process. Of these hospitals, 82% have put facilities projects on hold, 65% have put clinical technology projects on hold, and 62% have put information technology projects on hold. Of the hospitals that stated they would have to delay facilities projects, 63% said that they had anticipated an improvement to quality/patient safety with these projects. Diane Pinakiewicz, MBA, president of the National Patient Safety Foundation, says although many healthcare providers are not hearing good news about their budgets, it is still too early in the year for many facilities to have experienced the full force of what is to come.

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Patient Safety Monitor.

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