Healthcare CFOs weigh-in on the challenges ahead

Posted on April 28, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in Capital Budget, Cash, Cash Reserves, Cash-Flow Improvements, CFO, Change, Change Management, Communication, Contact Tracing, Coronavirus, Cost Management, Cost Reduction, Crisis, Crisis Management, Cybersecurity, Economic Crisis, Economy, Employee Benefits, Employee Furlough, Employee Hiring Freeze, Employee Layoffs, Employee Pay Cuts, Employee Protections, Leadership, Leadership Cares, Leadership Flexibility, Mergers & Acquisitions, Net Income, Operating Expenses, Operating Income, Operating Margin, Operating Performance, Operating Revenue, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Quarantine, Recession, Remote Work, Sick Leave, Social Distancing, Supply Chain, Telemedicine, Uncertainty, Worker Protection • Leave a comment

https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/covid-19/pwc-covid-19-cfo-pulse-survey.html

How finance leaders see a return to work

Business perspectives on what it will take to shift from crisis mode are solidifying. US finance leaders are focused on shoring up financial positions, as US businesses head into a period of even more operational complexity while they orchestrate a safe return to the workplace. Back-to-work playbooks put workforce health first, as companies set course for a phased-in return to the workplace that will not be uniform across the US or internationally, findings from the survey show. Returning employees and customers are going to experience a work environment that will differ in marked ways as a result. Another change likely to endure post-crisis is the strong role corporate leaders have taken within their communities, placing a renewed emphasis on environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts going forward.

The actions CFOs are taking show how US businesses continue to adjust to very difficult current conditions with an eye toward an evolving post-COVID world. The level of concern related to the crisis is holding steady. It is high but stabilizing, with 72% of respondents reporting that COVID-19 has the potential for “significant impact” to their business operations vs. 74% two weeks ago.

Key findings

Back-to-work playbooks reshape how jobs performed
49% say remote work is here to stay for some roles, as companies plan to alternate crews and reconfigure worksites.

Protecting people top of mind
77% plan to change safety measures like testing, while 50% expect higher demand for enhanced sick leave and other policy protections.

Substantive impacts expected in 2020 results
Half of all respondents (53%) are projecting a decline of at least 10% in company revenue and/or profit this year.

Cost pressures intensify
A third (32%) expect layoffs to occur, as CFOs continue to target costs, while 70% consider deferring or canceling planned investments.

Economic events shaping CFO response last week

This survey, our fourth since emergency lockdowns took effect in the US, reflects the views of 305 US finance leaders during the week of April 20. It was a week when oil futures traded below $0 as energy markets confronted downshifting global demand, Congress replenished emergency funding of $480 billion for small firms and healthcare systems, and everyone heard the call to get ready to go back to work as the US and Europe firmed up plans to ease quarantines.

Post-crisis world taking shape in plans to reboot the workplace

Health and safety are top priorities for leaders as they prepare to bring people back to on-site work. More than three-quarters (77%) are putting new safety measures in place, while others are taking steps to promote physical distancing, such as reconfiguring workspaces (65%). Findings also show where the virus may have longer-lasting impact on ways of working. Half (49%) of companies say they’re planning to make remote work a permanent option for roles that allow. That’s even higher (60%) among financial services organizations.

Takeaways

Among the small percentage of companies that are beginning to bring people back, returning to work will not mean a return to normal. Companies should consider how to help frontline managers lead with empathy, to communicate transparently and make decisions quickly so employees understand where they stand, have access to the resources available to them, and can share feedback to ensure they feel safe and get what they need. Tools such as workforce location tracking and contact tracing can help support employees with suspected or confirmed infections, while also helping to identify the level of risk exposure. Companies looking to make remote work a permanent option will need to enable leaders to manage a blended workforce of on-site and remote workers during the next 12 to 18 months.

Given that many people may be wary of returning to on-site work, there’s an opportunity for companies to create more targeted benefits to help make the transition easier. Paid sick leaves and worker protections, help with childcare, private transportation to and from work, or other benefits could help employees who may need extra flexibility or who want additional support as they prepare to come back.

Forecasting substantive impacts on 2020 performance

A majority of respondents (80%) continue to expect a decline in revenues and/or profits in 2020. Projections by sector vary, with consumer markets likely the hardest hit: one-third (32%) of CFOs expect a 25% or greater decline in revenues and/or profits this year, compared to 24% of respondents in all sectors.

Takeaways

Outlooks for financial results have held relatively steady in the survey over the last month, and are probably indicative of actual impact. Companies have had the time to evaluate the effects. CFO projections for declining revenue and profits coincide with a widening realization that the US economy is in recession. Since mid-March, jobless claims have soared past 26 million, and Congress passed relief packages of $2.5 trillion. CFOs are evaluating a wide range of scenarios that cover the health situation, the shape of the economic recovery, the spillover into the financial markets, and the resulting impacts on their business. This crisis is setting a new benchmark standard for “unknowable.”

Cost pressures intensifying

CFOs are considering additional ways to scale back on planned investment and/or other fixed costs amid volatility in demand. A third (32%) expect layoffs to occur in the next month, up from 26% two weeks ago. Protecting cash and liquidity positions is paramount. Financial impacts of COVID-19, including effects on liquidity and capital resources, remain the top concern of CFOs (71%). Over half (56%) say they are changing company financing plans, up from 46% two weeks ago.

Among other actions, 43% plan to adjust guidance, which is consistent with responses two weeks ago. This figure will likely increase as companies go through the earnings season over the next two to three weeks. Separately, 91% of respondents are planning to include a discussion of COVID-19 in external reporting. Depending on the type of company, this can mean inclusion in financial statements and/or in risk factors and MD&A results of operations, earnings release or MD&A liquidity sections.

Takeaways

Many CFOs have focused on how they can manage their cash pressures to ride out the crisis. Common approaches have included stop-gap measures, such as hiring freezes and tightening controls on discretionary costs to put an end to travel and events, or the use of contractors. Findings show that these types of cost actions are likely to continue, and they remain at the top of the CFO agenda.

Of those who say they’re considering deferring or canceling planned investments, 80% are considering facilities and general capital expenditures. At the same time, investment programs in areas that are considered important to future growth — including digital transformations, customer experience, or cybersecurity and privacy — are less likely to be targeted. CFOs will increasingly look for ways to prioritize costs in these areas, as businesses grow more confident in recovery prospects — even though current demand is subdued.

Priorities to de-risk supply chains

As companies continue to wade through mitigation efforts and start to think about recovery, many are planning changes to make their supply chains more resilient. Findings show CFOs prioritizing specific actions: 56% cite developing alternate options for sourcing, and 54% say better understanding the financial and operational health of their suppliers.

Takeaways

Findings confirm an emphasis on de-risking supply chains, as companies prioritize the health and reliability of their supplier base among changes they’re planning as a result of COVID-19. In particular, there is a focus on managing risk around supply elements, such as reducing structural vulnerability with other sourcing options.

Some companies are starting to invest in creating data-backed profiles of their supplier base so they know where and when to look for second sources. Others are increasing communication with suppliers to better understand financial health. For many, conducting deeper financial and health reviews of suppliers will become a regular part of their business reviews. Physical supply chain relocations will likely happen only as a last resort, given the costs involved. However, automation of certain elements of the supply chain — to eliminate time-consuming manual tracking efforts and check tariff structures, for example — will likely become more common as companies seek better data to make more informed decisions.

Strategies yet to change, but tech likely to drive M&A

The impact of the outbreak on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategies remains mixed. While 40% of respondents say their company’s M&A strategy is not being affected by COVID-19, compared with 34% two weeks ago, one in five say it’s too difficult to assess what changes, if any, will need to be made to strategy. CFOs within the technology, media and telecommunications industry stand out in particular. They are less likely to report decreasing appetite for M&A due to COVID-19, compared with peers in other sectors, and 55% say the crisis hasn’t changed their M&A strategy.

Takeaways

These findings highlight the fundamental strengths of the tech sector and suggest it will be among those driving M&A in the months ahead. Tech giants, in particular, have large cash reserves. Moreover, demand for some tech products and services is strong as businesses return to work — 40% of CFOs say they will accelerate automation and new ways of working as they transition back. Additionally, technologies such as drones, artificial intelligence and robotics, will likely enjoy wider adoption in the post-COVID-19 environment. This leaves tech better-positioned to weather the pandemic’s economic fallout and to execute on inorganic growth strategies. M&A is likely to recover faster than the US economy, with tech among the cash and capital-rich sectors leading the charge. PwC studies show that a combination of factors has been driving a decoupling of deals from the broader economy.

Business recovery timeframes have extended

Organizations are realizing the business recovery from the impacts of the virus will take longer. The March measures of manufacturing and services activities show sharp drops. Demand is not only declining, it’s shifting. Moreover, even as some US states start to reopen, difficulties in setting up testing could keep some states in a holding pattern. As a result, for CFOs, the time required to return to “business as usual” the moment that COVID-19 ends continues to lengthen. Currently, 48% believe it will take at least three months to return to normal, up from 39% two weeks ago.

Takeaways

As reality sets in and companies understand the true impacts to their operations, CFO perceptions of the length of time to business recovery has extended. According to our analysis of how companies gauge their response to the crisis in PwC’s COVID-19 Navigator diagnostic tool, the expected impact of COVID-19 on businesses globally remains high, with consumer markets and manufacturing the most susceptible among industries. Put another way, businesses that are less reliant on a large, complex supply chain to deliver products, or are able to work relatively effectively while remote, are also likely to be among the least exposed.

Consumer-facing companies reconfigure physical sites as shutdowns start to lift

Companies in consumer-facing sectors continue to contend with both sides of the demand equation, as consumers sheltering in place focus single-mindedly on essential products to the exclusion of other offerings. Consumer markets (CM) CFOs are more likely to list a decrease in consumer confidence and spending as a top-three concern than they were two weeks ago (66% vs. 50%). For CM CFOs, consumer confidence trends translate almost directly to revenues, with 32% projecting an adverse impact on revenue and/or profit of at least 25% in 2020, compared with 24% of respondents across all industries.

In response, almost three-quarters of CM CFOs (73%) are considering deferring or canceling planned investments, targeting mostly general capital expenses, such as facilities. They also say technologies that can improve their understanding of changes in customer demand are a top-three priority as they plan changes to their supply chain strategies (41% vs. 30% for all sectors).

CM CFOs are planning workplace safety measures (86% vs. 77% for all sectors) and reconfiguring work sites to promote physical distancing as part of their transition back to on-site work (77% vs. 65% for all sectors). They recognize that consumers want the assurance of a safe physical environment above all else, especially because the majority of CM products and services require a physical component, despite the continuing shift to online.

Takeaways

Consumer-facing companies continue to be among the hardest hit, as the public health crisis keeps the majority of consumers confined to their homes for now. As they grapple with immediate challenges, CM companies are pulling back on capital investments. However, most are still planning to shore up their digital presence in response to accelerated online demand that could last well beyond the recovery period.

Health system pivots to new ways of working

What’s on the mind of financial leaders in the health industry? As they plan to bring more of their workforce back on-site, they are more likely than leaders in other industries to be leaning on technology to help them manage staffing uncertainties. Fifty-four percent of healthcare CFO respondents said they plan to accelerate automation and new ways of working, compared with an average of 40% across all industries.

Healthcare organizations are simultaneously solving two critical issues: uncertainty about demand and protecting their workforce. Health organization CFOs (70%) were more likely than executives from other industries (an average of 50%) to report that they expect higher demand for employee protections in the next month. Meanwhile, consumer anxiety over their own safety is driving up uncertainty about demand for healthcare and medical products. Forty-one percent of healthcare finance leaders listed tools to better understand customer demand as a top-three priority area when considering changes to their supply chain strategies, compared to 30% of financial leaders in all sectors. Fifty-one percent of healthcare finance leaders said they are making staffing changes as a result of slowed demand.

Takeaways

A survey conducted by PwC’s Health Research Institute in early April found that some consumers are delaying care and medications amid the pandemic. In this latest PwC survey of CFOs, healthcare leaders report uncertainty about how much of their business will return as the threat of the pandemic ebbs, making staffing decisions difficult.

As the nation continues to grapple with the pandemic, getting back to work is top of mind for US financial leaders overall, but this is an especially pressing issue for health leaders. They must plan for their own workforces, while dealing with an unfolding financial calamity — 81% expect their company’s revenue and/or profits to decline this year as a result of COVID-19. On par with other industries, they expect this decline, even though their organizations play central roles in addressing the human toll of the pandemic. One strategy is to use telehealth technology to virtually care for patients, thereby protecting patients and caregivers during the pandemic.

Financial firms see fewer layoffs, but slower recovery

Financial services (FS) CFOs are bracing for a longer road back to normal. About a third (35%) now think it could take six months to get back to business as usual, up sharply from 15% just two weeks ago. They’re also more optimistic about the bottom line. More than a quarter (27%) of FS survey respondents expect revenue and/or profits to fall by 10% or less. Across all industries, only 18% felt as confident.

Takeaways

Banks are playing a critical role in helping stabilize the economy, as they work on the front lines to distribute CARES Act provisions. Along with insurers and asset managers, they also rely heavily on workers with specialized technical and institutional knowledge. This may explain why FS CFOs expect fewer layoffs (15% vs. 32% overall) or furloughs (17% vs. 44% overall) over the next month. Now, they’re trying to focus on keeping workers healthy and safe.

Conversations are starting to shift toward when and how to transition back to physical offices. For some employees, work may look very different: More FS CFOs are considering making remote work a permanent option for roles that allow it (60% vs. 49% overall). To better protect their employees, they’re also looking to evaluate new tools to support workforce tracking and contact tracing (32% vs. 22% overall) as part of the return-to-work process.

Deeper insight into health of suppliers is top priority for industrial products

The industrial products (IP) sector is in full-throttle cost-cutting mode. Nearly all IP CFOs (96%) report considering cost containment measures, compared with 87% two weeks ago. Some of this comes in the form of layoffs: 49% of IP CFOs expect layoffs to occur vs. 36% two weeks ago. The longer the crisis lasts, the longer the impact on recovery times for their business. When asked how long it would take for their business to return to business as usual if the COVID-19 crisis were to end today, 15% of IP CFOs said less than one month, down from 25% two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, they’re closely examining challenged supply chains. When asked to list their top-three priority areas when planning changes to supply-chain strategies, 66% of IP CFOs identified understanding the financial and operational health of their suppliers, compared to 54% of CFOs across all industries. A majority (56%) also cited developing additional and alternate sourcing options as a priority. And the extent of the financial damage is sinking in: 65% of IP CFOs estimate 2020 revenues and/or profits will drop at least 10%.

Takeaways

IP CFOs are signaling they’re in the thick of the crisis, as they absorb historical lows in production, with March US industrial output plunging to levels not seen since the end of WWII. Continued cost actions are still in the cards.

IP finance leaders are looking ahead to get back to business, with some already bringing workers back on-site. Some are expecting changes to the workplace. Thirty-nine percent of IP CFOs are considering making remote work a permanent option for roles that allow, and 31% are considering accelerating automation and new ways of working. While these are still early days for US producers in returning to work, bringing millions of workers back into the fold may well usher in more change management than the industry now expects.

Tech, media and telecom well-positioned to power the recovery

Technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) companies are well-positioned for recovery from the initial blow of COVID-19. As they stabilize operations in response to the crisis, the percentage of TMT CFOs anticipating revenue and/or profit declines is down 19 percentage points from two weeks ago to 65%. The data suggest that TMT companies are preparing for a future in which virtual work options gain greater acceptance over traditional office settings. TMT companies are more likely to reduce their real estate footprint as they transition back to on-site work (38% compared to 26% for all sectors), and 55% say they’re planning to make remote work permanent for positions that allow.

Of those who said they’re considering deferring or canceling planned investments, TMT companies are less likely to reduce digital transformation investments (13%) than all sectors (22%). Their increased optimism about digital investment as they strategize for the future is further borne out by the data: Two weeks ago, of those who said they were deferring or canceling planned investment, TMT was on track to reduce digital investments at the same rate as other sectors (25%).

Takeaways

The resilience of TMT companies is evident in their approach to this crisis. Bolstered by robust liquidity, the majority of companies in the sector are looking ahead to a recovery they will power by using both organic growth and M&A. In the wake of a crisis that has accelerated more widespread virtual connectivity, look for new emerging-tech-enabled business models to take shape.

Where to focus next

COVID-19 has put businesses under enormous strain to drive new ways of working. When the pandemic began, many companies put their people’s health and safety at the center of their decision-making, and they appear to be doing the same as they prepare to ramp up business. With most firms expecting to bring people back on-site in phases, leaders will need to help employees adjust to a changed environment while still managing the well-being, engagement and productivity of all workers. Purpose-led communication will continue to be critical to keep people informed, and leaders should demonstrate empathy while helping employees adjust to what will likely be an extended transition period.

CMS suspends advance payments to providers, is reevaluating accelerated payments for hospitals

Posted on April 28, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in 2020 Election Issues, Cash, Cash Reserves, Cash-Flow Improvements, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Coronavirus, Crisis, Crisis Management, Dept of Health and Human Services (HHS), Economic Crisis, Economic Stimulus, Health Policy, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Industry, Medicare, Paycheck Protection Program, Physician, Physician Practice Management, Supply Chain, The CARES Act • Leave a comment

https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/hospitals-health-systems/cms-suspends-accelerated-payment-program?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWXpNMlpXUTVaakpoTmpJMSIsInQiOiJzU3ViK3ZwV0oyMUxOS3N5T0tXY3h1anlUSW5ndTJ0MDlEMkE1S3BGRDg1Mlc1eDdpY3hGaHRCV0U1eUpFbWxhR3ZoSVlRdlU5M1NCek5FamxZZ0NLMEhxQ25teFwvNVwvSFEzYnlETEpuMnlZM0FJYThWeEhTcUFodElZUEcwS1RlIn0%3D&mrkid=959610

CMS suspends advance payments to providers, is reevaluating ...

The Trump administration is suspending a program that offered advanced payments to providers and reevaluating another program that offered accelerated payments to health systems after doling out about $100 billion.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced over the weekend it is immediately suspending its Advance Payment Program to Medicare Part B suppliers such as doctors, non-physician practitioners and durable medical equipment suppliers.

The agency is reevaluating the amounts that will be paid under its Accelerated Payment Program, which have been made available to fee-for-service Medicare providers such as hospitals in light of the $100 billion already sent to providers through the program.

CMS had expanded the loan programs to ensure providers and suppliers had resources needed to combat COVID-19 as many began furloughing or laying off workers due to sharp revenue drops from elective care amid the COVID-19 response.

CMS approved more than 24,000 applications under the program and advanced more than $40 billion to Part B suppliers in the last several weeks. It approved 21,000 applications for accelerated payments, totaling nearly $60 billion in payments to hospitals.

Prior to COVID-19, the agency had only approved just over 100 of such requests.

The advanced and accelerated payments are not grants, but instead payments that are required to be paid back within one year, officials said.

In a release, CMS officials said the actions are also being taken “in light of the $175 billion recently appropriated for healthcare provider relief payments,” the agency said, referring to $100 billion allocated in the CARES Act as well as $75 billion allocated to providers through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.

The Department of Health and Human Services is distributing that money through the Provider Relief Fund. Those funds will be used to support healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure uninsured Americans can get treatment for COVID-19, officials said.

Among the recipients of the funding, HCA Healthcare said it benefited from about $4 billion in accelerated Medicare payments provided under the CARES Act, saying that money will be repaid over an eight-month period beginning in August. HCA also received about $700 million of funds from the first phase of the public health and social services emergency fund.

Those two pieces of economic assistance have had the greatest impact in stabilizing the health system’s financials amid challenges presented by COVID-19, HCA officials said during a recent conference call with analysts.

In worst-case scenario, COVID-19 coronavirus could cost the U.S. billions in medical expenses

Posted on April 27, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in Cash, Cash Reserves, Cash-Flow Improvements, Coronavirus, Crisis, Crisis Management, Economic Crisis, Elective Procedures, Elective Surgery, Health Policy, Health System, Herd Immunity, Hospital, Hospital Bed Shortage, Hospital Industry, Intensive Care (ICU), Net Income, Operating Expenses, Operating Income, Operating Margin, Operating Performance, Operating Revenue, Pandemic, Ventilators • Leave a comment

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In worst-case scenario, COVID-19 coronavirus could cost the U.S. ...

If 20% of the US population were to become infected with COVID-19, it would result in an average of $163.4 billion in direct medical costs.

One of the major concerns about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has been the burden that cases will place on the healthcare system. A new study published April 23 in the journal Health Affairs found that the spread of the virus could cost hundreds of billions of dollars in direct medical expenses alone and require resources such as hospital beds and ventilators that may exceed what is currently available.

The findings demonstrate how these costs and resources can be cut substantially if the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus can be reduced to different degrees.

The study was led by the Public Health Informatics, Computational and Operations Research team at the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, along with the Infectious Disease Clinical Outcomes Research Unit at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Torrance Memorial Medical Center.

The team developed a computer simulation model of the entire U.S. that could then simulate what would happen if different proportions of the population end up getting infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus. In the model, each infected person would develop different symptoms over time and, depending upon the severity of those symptoms, visit clinics, emergency departments or hospitals.

The resources each patient would require – such as healthcare personnel time, medication, hospital beds and ventilators – would then be based on the health status of each patient. The model then tracks the resources involved, the associated costs and the outcomes for each patient.

For example, if 20% of the U.S. population were to become infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus, there would be an average of 11.2 million hospitalizations and 1.6 million ventilators used, costing an average of $163.4 billion in direct medical costs during the course of the infection.

The study shows the factors that could push this amount up to 13.4 million hospitalizations and 2.3 million ventilators used, costing an average of $214.5 billion. If 50% of the U.S. population were to get infected with COVID-19, there would be 27.9 million hospitalizations, 4.1 million ventilators used and 156.2 million hospital bed days accrued, costing an average of $408.8 billion in direct medical costs during the course of the infection.

This increases to 44.6 million hospitalizations, 6.5 million ventilators used and 249.5 million hospital bed days (general ward plus ICU bed days) incurred, costing an average of $654 billion during the course of the infection if 80% of the U.S. population were to get infected. The significant difference in medical costs when various proportions of the population get infected show the value of any strategies that could reduce infections and, conversely, the potential cost of simply letting the virus run its course – the “herd immunity” approach.

Simply put, allowing people to get infected until herd immunity thresholds are met would come at a tremendous cost, and even if social-distancing measures were relaxed and the country “opened up” too early, the healthcare system, as well as the broader economy, would come close to buckling under the weight of the additional costs.

WHAT’S THE IMPACT?

The study shows how costly the coronavirus is compared to other common infectious diseases. For example, a single symptomatic COVID-19 infection costs an average of $3,045 in direct medical costs during the course of the infection alone. This is four times higher than a symptomatic influenza case and 5.5 times higher than a symptomatic pertussis case. Factoring in the costs from longer lasting effects of the infection such as lung damage and other organ damage increased the average cost to $3,994.

Importantly, for a sizable proportion of those who get infected, healthcare costs don’t end when the active infection ends, and costs will likely stay high even after the bulk of the pandemic has passed.

A continuing concern is that the U.S. healthcare system will become overloaded with the surge of COVID-19 coronavirus cases and will subsequently not have enough person-power, ventilators and hospital beds to accommodate the influx of patients. The study shows that even when only 20% of the population gets infected, the current number of available ventilators and ICU beds will not be sufficient.

According to the Society of Critical Care Medicine, there are approximately 96,596 ICU beds and 62,000 full-featured mechanical ventilators in the U.S., substantially lower than what would be needed when only 20% of the population gets infected.

THE LARGER TREND

Data released this week by Kaufman Hall illustrates the extent to which U.S. hospitals are already suffering financially due to the coronavirus.

Looking at earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, hospitals’ operating margins fell more than 100% in March, dropping a full 13 percentage points relative to last year. Compared to most months, that’s a much greater change. Operating EBITDA margin was up just 1% in March 2019, for example, and down 1% in February of this year.

These margins likely fell even further across broader health systems, which often include substantial physician and ambulatory operations outside of the hospital, Kaufman Hall found. Overall, operating margins fell 170% below budget for the month.

Envision Healthcare considering bankruptcy filing

Posted on April 25, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in Bankruptcy, Cash, Cash Reserves, Cash-Flow Improvements, Coronavirus, Credit Quality, Credit Ratings, Creditors, Crisis, Crisis Management, Emergency Care, Emergency Room Staffing, Financial Pressure, Financially Distressed, Pandemic, Physician, Physician Practice Management, Physician Staffing, Private Equity, Restructure, Turnaround, Turnaround Plan, Venture Capital • Leave a comment

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KKR-backed Envision Healthcare hires restructuring advisers ...

National physician staffing firm Envision Healthcare is considering filing for bankruptcy, according a report from Bloomberg. Sources say the company, backed by private equity (PE) firm KKR, which acquired Envision for $9.9B in June 2018, has hired restructuring advisors and is working with an investment bank. The abrupt halt to elective surgeries and reduction in emergency room volumes due to COVID-19 has caused Envision’s business to shrink by 65 to 75 percent in just two weeks at its 168 open ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), compared to the same time period last year.

The Nashville-based company, which employs over 25,000 physicians and advanced practitioners, has already been reducing pay for providers and executives, in addition to implementing temporary furloughs. Envision is also struggling with a debt load of more than $7B, resulting from its 2018 leveraged buyout, and has been unable to convince its bondholders to approve a debt swap.

It remains to be seen whether Envision will be a bellwether for how other PE-backed physician groups will weather the ongoing COVID crisis. While Envision’s composition of mainly hospital- and ASC-based providers, coupled with its huge debt load, leave it on especially shaky financial footing, many PE-backed physician groups will struggle this year to achieve anything close to the 20 percent annual rate of return often promised to investors.

If high-profile PE-backed groups like Envision end up declaring bankruptcy, it will likely impact the calculus of the many independent practices which may have previously looked to PE firms for acquisition, and temper the enthusiasm of investors, who might see physician staffing and practice roll-ups as less attractive as volumes continue to fluctuate.

181 hospitals furloughing workers in response to COVID-19

Posted on April 23, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in Cash, Cash Reserves, Cash-Flow Improvements, Coronavirus, Crisis, Crisis Management, Employee Furlough, Employee Layoffs, Employee Pay Cuts, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Industry, Net Income, Operating Expenses, Operating Income, Operating Margin, Operating Performance, Operating Revenue, Pandemic • Leave a comment

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/49-hospitals-furloughing-workers-in-response-to-covid-19.html?utm_medium=email

City of San Antonio furloughs nearly 300 amid COVID-19 pandemic | WOAI

Many U.S. hospitals and health systems have suspended elective procedures to save capacity, supplies and staff to treat COVID-19 patients.

As a result of suspending these nonemergent procedures, several systems have lost or expect to lose a large chunk of their annual revenue, forcing them to make cost reduction a top priority.

Below is a breakdown of the hospitals that have furloughed staff in an effort to remain financially stable amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 22

1. Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System plans to furlough 2,800 staffers not directly involved in patient care due to financial damage from the COVID-19 pandemic. The six-hospital system recorded a $43 million loss in operating income in March due to the cancellation of elective procedures, temporary clinic closures and the additional expenses of acquiring personal protective gear. The health system expects bigger losses in April and May.

2. Citing a financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan has furloughed about 1,100 employees, according to The Providence Journal. A hospital spokesperson said most of the furloughs were taken voluntarily, and some employees have been able to take vacation or sick leave to maintain pay. Affected employees can retain their benefits, such as health insurance.

3. Woodbury, N.J.-based Inspira Health has furloughed 219 employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. The list of furloughed employees will be reviewed every two weeks, the health system said. Inspira has about 6,000 employees.

4. Macomb, Ill.-based McDonough District Hospital plans to furlough 60 workers amid declining revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to local radio station WGIL. The health system experienced a $1.2 million loss in net revenue in March, and expects April to have a much larger loss.

5. To address the financial impact and patient volume dip caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Greenville, N.C.-based Vidant Health will furlough a portion of its workforce, according to ABC 12. The health system will start the furloughs April 26. The number of affected employees was not disclosed.

6. Olean, N.Y.-based Upper Allegheny Health System plans to start a voluntary furlough program in an effort to help offset some of the losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Tap Into Greater Olean. The system projects it will incur a $25 million loss related to COVID-19 in 2020.

7. Due to the suspension of elective procedures and subsequent revenue drop, Grand Forks, N.D.-based Altru Health System plans to reduce the number staffing hours by 10 percent to 15 percent through furloughs and a system-required absence program, according to The Grand Forks Herald. The hospital system said it is facing a potential loss of $65 million this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

8. Cleveland-based University Hospital plans to cut the hours and pay of 4,100 employees not involved in patient care, according to Cleveland.com. Salaried nonclinical staffers are required to take a one-week unpaid furlough every five weeks. Hourly nonclinical workers will have their hours cut by 20 percent each week. Affected employees can use paid time off and sick time during those unpaid weeks. Hospital staff will still receive benefits, like health insurance.

9. Citing the financial hit from COVID-19, Wausau, Wis.-based Aspirus Health plans to furlough a portion of its staff beginning May 1, according to a system press release. The furloughs will primarily affect employees who do not work directly in patient care.

“This is the most difficult decision our leadership team has ever made,” said Aspirus President and CEO Matthew Heywood. “These drastic actions are ones we hoped to avoid but must take to ensure we can continue to serve our communities throughout this pandemic and for generations after.”

10. To help protect the long-term financial health of the organization, Buffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health is offering a temporary voluntary furlough program for its staff, the health system announced April 22 in a news release. The furlough program is a joint agreement with two unions that represent 8,000 Kaleida Health employees. Affected employees would be able to retain benefits, like health insurance.

Note: Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic said April 22 that 30,000 staff members will be affected by furloughs or cut hours. More information about the furloughs are listed under April 13, or you can click here.

April 22

1. Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont Health will permanently lay off 450 staff members, cut executive pay and furlough 2,475 workers due to the financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the 450 layoffs affect corporate staff or administrative employees. The furloughs affect staff not directly caring for patients and hospital administrative staff.

2. Philadelphia-based Tower Health has furloughed at least 1,000 employees due to the financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. The furloughs affect roughly 7 percent of the system’s 14,000-person workforce.The seven-hospital system said it has lost about 50 percent of its revenue due to the suspension of elective procedures and drop in outpatient volume.

3. Citing the suspension of elective procedures and a 50 percent reduction in revenue, Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Bronson Healthcare has furloughed hundreds, according to WWMT. Furloughed employees will not be paid for at least four months, and they can not use paid time off. The number of furloughed employees was not disclosed.

4. Utica, N.Y.-based Mohawk Valley Health System will furlough about 20 percent of its workforce of 4,000 for up to four months, according to the Utica Observer-Dispatch. The health system said it is part of a cost-cutting plan to recover from lost revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

5. About 200 employees at Ithaca, N.Y.-based Cayuga Medical Center have volunteered to take a furlough, according to Ithaca.com. The hospital, which employs 1,500, has seen a 50 percent drop in patient volume. Employees that opt into the furlough program can retain health insurance, apply for unemployment benefits and will receive a stipend upon returning to work.

6. Hudson, N.Y.-based Columbia Memorial Hospital will furlough 125 workers due to a drop in patient volume and revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to News 10, an ABC affiliate. Furloughed workers can keep their health insurance and apply for unemployment benefits.

7. St. Mary’s Health System in Lewiston, Maine, will furlough about 5 percent of its workforce to help offset losses attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Sun Journal. The furloughs, which affect 77 staffers, will begin April 27 and last for 30 days.

8. Seventy-one employees from Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay, Ore., opted to take voluntarily furloughs, according to KCBY. The employees will be furloughed for 45 days.

9. Rosemont, Ill.-based Pipeline Health, which operates Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago and West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Ill., has furloughed an undisclosed number of its staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Chicago Tribune. Those employees will keep their health insurance and can apply for unemployment.

10. Citing a revenue decline of 50 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dansville, N.Y.-based Noyes Health has furloughed a portion of its staff for one to two week on a rolling basis, according to The Livingston County News. Furloughed staff will retain health insurance benefits.

11. Madison, Wis.-based UW Health plans to furlough some staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. UW Health CEO Alan Kaplan, MD, said UW Health saw a 62 percent decline in surgeries and patient volume, and as a result is expecting losses of $350 to $400 million between March 15 and June 30.

12. West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health said it will implement furloughs starting April 26, according to 25 News, an NBC affiliate. Furloughs will affect employees in areas of the system that are not operating at capacity or experiencing closures.

13. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Ill., has furloughed some staff in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Chicago Tribune.

14. MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Ill., has furloughed some staff in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Chicago Tribune.

April 21

1. Phoenix-based Banner Health plans to furlough 5 percent to 7 percent of its workforce in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some affected employees may be furloughed for just a few weeks. Affected employees will still have benefits, like health insurance.

2. Citing the suspension of elective procedures, Ogdensburg, N.Y.-based Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center has furloughed or cut pay for 170 workers, according to WWNY TV. The furloughed employees will not be paid.

3. Rochester, Minn.-based Olmsted Medical Center, which employs 1,300 people, plans to furlough a portion of its staff to offset the financial hit caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to ABC 6 News. The medical center is projecting a loss of nearly $25 million for April through June due to the suspension of elective procedures.

4. Myrtue Medical Center, a Harlan, Iowa-based hospital with 422 employees, has furloughed a portion of its workforce due to a revenue drop from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to HarlanOnline.com. The hospital said that the pandemic has caused a nearly 50 percent drop in procedures, visits and overall patient volumes.

5. Hutchinson (Kan.) Regional Healthcare System, experiencing financial strain from the COVID-19 pandemic, plans to furlough staff, according to The Hutchinson News. The system said the furloughs will affect employees at each of its facilities, but declined to discuss the number of employees that will be furloughed.

6. Poteau-based Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital, has furloughed 52 employees, according to Erie News Now. The hospital said that suspending non-emergent procedures has caused a dip in patient volume and revenue.

7. Citing a revenue loss from the COVID-19 pandemic and suspension of elective procedures, Framingham, Mass.-based MetroWest Medical Center has furloughed an undisclosed number of nurses, according to The Milford Daily News.

April 20

1. Citing the financial burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Carthage (N.Y.) Area Hospital has furloughed 20 percent of its staff, according to local news station WWNY TV. About 83 staff members are affected. Furloughed employees with health insurance can still receive those benefits.

2. Sioux Falls, Idaho-based Avera Health will furlough 650 workers due to the suspension of elective procedures and resulting revenue loss, according to The Grand Forks Herald. Avera will also cut pay for 1,500 employees. The health system has 19,000 employees across a five-state region.

3. St. Lawrence Health System, a three-hospital system in Potsdam, N.Y., plans to furlough at least 400 workers to help offset the revenue loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to North Country Now. Due to a drop in patient volume due to the suspension of elective procedures, the system is projecting a cash flow decrease of $10 million in the next 30 days. The health system’s website says it has more than 2,025 employees.

4. Rapid City, S.D.-based Monument Health will place 200 employees on furlough, according to KOTA TV. The health system said that it implemented furloughs to help preserve protective gear and save costs after suspending elective surgeries. The furloughs, which are effective April 25, affect 4 percent of Monument Health’s workforce.

5. In an effort to offset a revenue loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Niagara Falls (N.Y.) Memorial Hospital has furloughed 52 workers, according to WKBW.

6. Elizabethtown (N.Y.) Community Hospital has furloughed 25 staff members after experiencing a revenue cut of 50 percent due to the suspension of elective procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

7. Manatee Memorial Hospital, a safety-net facility in Bradenton, Fla., has furloughed a portion of its staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Bradenton.com. Affected employees will be able to retain health and life insurance. It is unclear how many staff members are affected or how long the furlough will last.

8. Tucson (Ariz.) Medical Center has furloughed some of its staff to help offset a revenue loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Tucson.com. The health system said it is estimating a revenue loss of $20 million in April alone.

9. Tucson, Ariz.-based Carondelet Health Network has implemented furloughs across the system due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Tucson.com.

10. Gillette, Wyo.-based Campbell County Health has furloughed an undisclosed number of employees, according to The Gillette News Record. Affected employees are eligible to retain their health insurance and are expected to return to work within six to 12 weeks, according to the report.

April 17

1. Citing declines in revenue and patient volume due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Murray (Ky.) Calloway County Hospital plans to implement furloughs in all departments, according to local news station WPSD. The hospital said the reductions will affect about 15 percent to 30 percent of staff in each department, according to the report.

2. Lockport, N.Y.-based Eastern Niagara Hospital will furlough 60 employees in response to the suspension of elective procedures due to the pandemic, according to Buffalo, N.Y., ABC affiliate WKBW. The furloughs affect union and nonunion employees.

3. Lowville, N.Y.-based Lewis County Health System is temporarily placing 14 percent of its workforce on unpaid leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to WWYN. The health system will ask for volunteers before furloughs will be mandated based on seniority. Furloughs are expected to last eight weeks.

4. Citing a financial hit from the suspension of elective procedures, Traverse City, Mich.-based Munson Healthcare is furloughing a portion of its staff, according to 9&10 News. Ed Ness, president and CEO of Munson Healthcare, told the CBS affiliate that the health system is projected to lose $7 million to $10 million a month.

5. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, based in Chicago, has furloughed about 20 percent of its staff through the end of April, according to the Chicago Tribune. Those staff members are still receiving pay and healthcare benefits. The hospital said it is losing about $10 million a week because it suspended elective surgeries and outpatient visits and is seeing a drop in inpatient visits.

6. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maywood, Ill.-based Loyola Medicine has furloughed primarily nonclinical staff and reduced hours for other employees, according to the Chicago Tribune. Furloughed workers are still receiving healthcare benefits.

“We hope to bring back as many furloughed employees as we can, when possible,” Loyola told the newspaper.

7. Citing a revenue drop from the COVID-19 pandemic, Somerset, Ky.-based Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital has 17 percent of its workforce on furlough, according to the Commonwealth Journal. Affected employees will continue to receive health insurance and 25 percent of their wages.

8. Aiken (S.C.) Regional Medical Centers will furlough 54 employees in an effort to offset revenue losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to WJBF. Affected employees will be eligible for unemployment.

9. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business operations, Boston-based Fenway Health will furlough a portion of its staff this week, according to The Rainbow Times.

“This is not something we are doing lightly. But Fenway Health is not immune to the economic forces affecting every health care system in the state in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis,” Fenway Health CEO Ellen LaPointe, told the publication. “These measures are temporary.”

10. El Paso, Texas-based Hospitals of Providence will furlough a portion of its staff to help offset a drop in patient volume, according to El Paso Times. Hospitals of Providence said that less than 3 percent of staff would be affected.

11. Jacksboro, Texas-based Faith Community Health System has furloughed, cut hours or reassigned about 75 percent of its staff due to the suspension of elective procedures, according to The Dallas Morning News.

“Where larger hospitals might have the ability to sustain that loss of revenue, rural hospitals just don’t. It has hit us faster and harder,” Faith Community CEO Frank Beaman told the publication.

April 16

1. Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, N.Y., will furlough 10 percent of its 2,400 employee workforce due to a revenue loss stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to NNY360. The medical center expects the furloughs to last about three months.

2. In an effort to ensure the long-term financial stability of the organization, DuBois, Pa.-based Penn Highlands Healthcare has furloughed or laid off 600 employees, according to The Progress News. About 60 percent of the 600 affected staff were furloughed. The health system has seen its revenue dip about 40 percent due to the suspension of elective procedures.

3. New Bedford, N.H.-based SolutionHealth, which includes Manchester, N.H.-based Elliot Hospital System and Nashua-based Southern New Hampshire Health, plans to furlough 650 staff members to offset a revenue hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Union Leader.

4. Titus Regional Medical Center, a 108-bed facility in Mount Pleasant, Texas, has furloughed about 10 percent of its staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Texas Tribune. It has about 800 employees. Titus said it expects the virus to cause a financial hit of $3.3 million, or about 14 days of cash.

5. Citing a financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Health System has furloughed 500 staff members, according to WBNS, a CBS affiliate. The health system is projecting that it will have a deficit of more than $50 million through 2020 due to the suspension of elective procedures.

6. Akron, Ohio-based Summa Health is furloughing 360 employees in an effort to cut costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Beacon Journal. Summa Health has about 7,200 employees. The furloughs started this week. It is unclear when they will end.

7. Jupiter (Fla.) Medical Center has furloughed 50 workers in administrative and support positions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Palm Beach Post. The furloughs affect 2.7 percent of the hospital’s 1,883 employees and are expected to last through the peak of the pandemic.

8. Citing a patient volume and revenue loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, Paragould-based Arkansas Methodist Medical Center plans to furlough a portion of its staff starting April 20, according to local news station KAIT8.

9. Dunn, N.C.-based Harnett Health has furloughed 80 staff members due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, according to My Daily Record.

“We want to reassure our community that we are still here and able to provide care whenever they may need us,” Harnett Health President Cory Hess told the publication. “The restructuring is a direct result of having to temporarily shut down some of our services to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

10. Citing a revenue dip due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pocatello, Idaho-based Portneuf Medical Center will furlough and lay off a portion of its staff, according to the Idaho State Journal. It is unclear how many staff members were furloughed and laid off. The furloughs are expected to last 90 days, but some employees may be called back earlier.

“To balance the resources needed to care for our sickest patients against the economic impact of postponed visits and the decline in surgeries, we have made some difficult workforce decisions,” a spokesperson for Portneuf Medical Center told the publication.

11. San Francisco-based Dignity Health has furloughed a portion of its nonclinical staff, Laurie Harting, Dignity’s CEO for the Greater Sacramento region, told the Sacramento Business Journal. The number of affected employees was not disclosed.

12. While Sacramento-based Sutter Health has created a labor pool to redeploy and reassign employees, some who are unable to be reassigned have been furloughed, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. Sutter has offered these affected employees 80 hours of “disaster pay” to account for hours lost and is creating a relief fund for employees. It is unclear how many employees are receiving the disaster pay. The health system has not laid off employees.

April 15

1. Citing a decline in elective surgeries and other nonemergent procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare has furloughed about 10 percent of its workforce of more than 113,000. Affected employees include those in administrative support roles, corporate office jobs and elective care. Earlier in April, Tenet said it planned to furlough 500 employees, but the health system said it had to raise the number of furloughs after the costly government-mandated suspension of elective procedures.

2. Citing the suspension of elective procedures, Detroit Medical Center is furloughing 480 employees who are not involved in treating COVID-19 patients or other critical patient care, according to Fox Detroit.

3. Lovelace Health System, based in Albuquerque, N.M., plans to furlough or cut hours of about 630 people, according to The Albuquerque Journal. The temporary workforce reduction affects about 15 percent of the health system’s 4,239 employees.

4. Citing a revenue drop of 60 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rutland City, Vt.-based Rutland Regional Health System has furloughed 150 employees, according to WCAX. The hospital has about 1,200 employees total.

5. Philadelphia-based Einstein Healthcare Network plans to move forward with furloughs due to a significant decline in physician practice and outpatient volume, according to WHYY. Health system officials said they project a $50 million to $60 million hit in 2020. Internal documents revealed that 70 percent of the health system’s expenses are staff related. Einstein Healthcare department heads were instructed to choose which employees to furlough this week.

6. Abbeville (S.C.) Area Medical Center has furloughed or cut hours of 75 employees for at least two months, according to the Index-Journal. Both clinical and nonclinical staff are affected.

“Like many hospital systems across the state and nation, the COVID-19 pandemic has created financial challenges for Abbeville Area Medical Center,” Dean Turner, Abbeville Area Medical Center’s CEO, told the publication. “This was a difficult decision but one that was necessary not only to ensure that our hospital can continue to serve patients, but also to ensure that our employees have jobs to come back to in the next six to eight weeks, if not sooner.”

7. Citing a financial toll from the COVID-19 pandemic, Roanoke, Va.-based Carilion Clinic plans to furlough a portion of its staff, CEO Nancy Agee announced in a video to employees. The number of affected employees has yet to be determined.

8. Jonesboro, Ark.-based St. Bernards Healthcare has furloughed 50 employees due to a significant decline in patient volume and revenue, according to Arkansas Business. The health system said that it is working to help furloughed staff “receive every benefit possible.”

9. In an effort to conserve cash and ensure the future financial stability of the organization, Sedalia, Mo.-based Bothwell Regional Health Center has furloughed 50 staff members, according to KSIS Radio. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a 43 percent reduction in revenue, the hospital said.

10. Queensbury, N.Y.-based Hudson Headwaters Health Network has furloughed 50 employees due to the revenue hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to North Country Public Radio.

11. Decatur, Ill.-based HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital is asking employees to take voluntary furloughs due to a decline in patient volume from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to WCIA.

12. Fayetteville, Ark.-based Washington Regional Medical Center is furloughing a portion of its staff to help offset revenue losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to KNWA, a Fox affiliate. The number of furloughs has yet to be determined.

13. In an effort to offset some of the financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mount Clemens, Mich.-based McLaren Macomb Hospital plans to furlough up to 20 nurses, according to Detroit News.

April 14

1. Kalispell (Mont.) Regional Healthcare will furlough 600 employees in an effort to help offset the financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to NBC Montana. The health system expects to incur a revenue loss of $16 million per month due to the suspension of elective procedures.

“The compounding effect of the loss of patient volumes, cancellation of elective surgeries, and the closure of entire service lines has had a tremendous financial impact on KRH,” Craig Lambrecht, MD, Kalispell Regional president and CEO, told the publication. “Cost cutting efforts have been underway but unfortunately those efforts alone cannot remedy the significance of these losses.”

2. UT Health East Texas in Tyler has furloughed or reduced hours of about 10 percent of its staff due to a decline in patient volume stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to KLTV. The furloughs will last about 90 days, but some employees may be called back earlier. Employees will still have access to health insurance and paid time off benefits.

3. Manchester, N.H.-based Catholic Medical Center has furloughed 700 employees after canceling elective procedures to save staff and supplies for COVID-19 patients, according to The Union Leader. The hospital said it is losing about half of its typical monthly revenue. Furloughed workers can use paid time off.

4. Citing a revenue loss tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, Glens Falls (N.Y.) Hospital furloughed 337 workers, according to The Glens Falls Post-Star. Affected employees work in nonclinical roles.

5. Weymouth, Mass.-based South Shore Health has placed 219 employees on furlough in an effort to counter some of the financial strain caused by COVID-19, according to The Patriot Ledger. The health system has more than 5,600 employees. The health system said it is looking to reassign some of the workers to new roles.

6. Las Cruces, N.M.-based Memorial Medical Center has furloughed 125 employees, according to The Las Cruces Sun News. The furloughs affected nearly all departments and will last 60 days. The employees will earn partial pay and will still retain health benefits.

7. Minneapolis-based Allina Health said that employees in nonclinical and indirect patient care roles must take at least one mandatory furlough in a 30-day period, according to SW News Media. The mandatory unpaid furlough will be one week in duration. Employees can use paid time off to cover the mandatory furlough.

“Not unlike other health care systems in Minnesota and across the nation, these changes have created significant financial pressures for Allina Health,” the health system said in a news release.

8. Irving, Texas-based Christus Health implemented furloughs for a portion of its staff, according to KLTV. The health system said employees will retain their healthcare benefits and are allowed to take paid time off. The system didn’t disclose how many employees will be affected.

9. In an effort to help offset an expected revenue loss of $6 million per month, Derby, Conn.-based Griffin Hospital is furloughing 99 employees, according to The New Haven Register. The furloughed employees work in nonclinical roles.

10. Las Cruces, N.M.-based MountainView Regional Medical Center has placed 67 employees on furlough, according to The Las Cruces Sun News. The medical center has furloughed employees from departments where services have been suspended during the pandemic.

11. Nacogdoches (Texas) Memorial Hospital has furloughed a portion of its staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Lufkin Daily News. The hospital said it has been stockpiling supplies for an anticipated surge in COVID-19 patients, which has “resulted in extraordinary expenses piling up at exactly the same time that we’ve intentionally driven volumes down by more than 50 percent.”

April 13

1. Citing a revenue drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Decatur (Ala.) Morgan Hospital is furloughing about 10 percent of its staff, 100 workers, according to The Decatur Daily.

2. Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth has furloughed 283 employees due to the suspension of elective procedures, according to The Springfield News-Leader. The hospital said it is working to get some of the furloughed employees redeployed to other positions in the health system.

3. Canton, Ohio-based Aultman Health will furlough about 400 employees, according to The Canton Rep. The majority of furloughed employees work in nonclinical roles, low-volume service areas or can’t be redeployed to care settings.

4. Evangelical Community Hospital, based in Lewisburg, Pa., has placed 400 workers on a furlough, according to The Williamsport Sun-Gazette. The hospital employs about 1,900 workers.

“Furloughs were across the board,” Deanna Hollenbach, a Evangelical Community Hospital spokesperson, told The Sun-Gazette.

5. Danville, Ky.-based Ephraim McDowell Health plans to furlough 20 percent of its 1,700-employee workforce, according to The Advocate Messenger. The hospital system said that it needed to “take immediate steps to ensure that we can sustain our operations after the COVID-19 crisis ends,” according to a statement obtained by the publication.

6. Starting April 13, Farmington, N.M.-based San Juan Regional Medical Center is furloughing a portion of its staff, according to The Farmington Daily Times. The furloughs will affect employees in elective care and in nonclinical roles.

7. Citing a revenue loss of 50 percent, Elmeria, N.Y.-based Arnot Health plans to furlough a portion of its staff to shore up finances, according to MyTwinTiers.com. Affected employees will be notified by April 17.

“The subsequent reductions in patient revenue have made it impossible for Arnot Health to afford the cost of current staffing levels in all but the most essential areas at this time,” the hospital said in a news release.

8. Although Mayo Clinic previously said it would protect full pay and benefits through April 28, after that date the system now says it will furlough some staff and implement pay cuts to address significant reductions in revenues. The Rochester, Minn.-based system said it projects a $900 million shortfall, even with the furloughs and pay cuts. On April 22, Mayo Clinic said the furloughs and reduced hours will impact about 30,000 staff members. The system also said it expects to incur $3 billion in losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The furloughs or reduced hours affect about 42 percent of Mayo Clinic’s 70,000 employees across its campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.

9. Anderson, S.C.-based AnMed Health will begin implementing furloughs April 19, according to WWYF. The furloughs are expected to last about three months. There was no specific number of furloughs announced, but officials said both clinical and nonclinical employees will be affected.

10. Spartanburg (S.C.) Regional Healthcare System has furloughed some of its staff, according to WWYF. The health system has set up a COVID-19 fund to support affected staff.

11. La Crosse, Wis.-based Gundersen Health System has furloughed some of its staff, according to The La Crosse Tribune. Gundersen officials said that its locations have experienced a 40 percent to 80 percent decrease in business operations in the last few weeks due to the suspension of nonemergent procedures and clinic visits.

“These are temporary actions,” Gundersen CEO Scott Rathgaber, MD, told the publication. “We plan to bring staff back to fully serve the needs of our patients and communities when our procedures and appointments can safely return to normal operations.”

12. Grays Harbor Community Hospital, based in Aberdeen, Wash., has implemented furloughs after the system saw a 45 percent drop in outpatient procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to KXRO. The hospital said it was also incurring more costs to procure equipment for staff. The furloughs will begin April 13 and last 90 days.

13. Citing millions of dollars in lost revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bennington-based Southwestern Vermont Health Care is furloughing a portion of its workforce, according to The Bennington Banner. The health system expects to furlough about 100 of its 1,400 workers and said it will reassess the furloughs every two weeks.

14. Putnam, Conn.-based Day Kimball Healthcare has furloughed workers due to a drop in patient volume and revenue, according to NBC Connecticut.

April 10

1. Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network has furloughed about 900 employees who work at its physician practices, according to The Morning Call. The email obtained by the publication stated that furloughed workers can return to work after in-person patient visits return to normal levels.

2. Halifax Health, based in Daytona Beach, Fla, has placed 300 staff members on a mandatory four-month furlough, according to The Daytona Beach News Journal. The news comes just nine days after the system asked for volunteers to take furloughs. The health system is also mandating that nonclinical staff not included in the furlough take one day off per week.

3. Citing financial pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, Escondido, Calif.-based Palomar Health has issued temporary layoffs for 221 employees, according to NBC San Diego. The furloughs will last 21 days and may be extended. Palomar Health said it is facing a significant revenue decline and incurred more costs to procure equipment.

4. Citing a 60 percent reduction in revenue in the last two weeks due to the pandemic, Marshall, Mich.-based Oaklawn Hospital has temporarily laid off 200 employees, according to local news station WWMT. The temporary layoffs affect about 17 percent of its 1,150 employees.

5. More than half of the employees at Gold Beach, Ore.-based Curry Health Network will be furloughed, laid off or have hours cut, according to Oregon Live. The hospital network said that 192 employees will be affected. At the beginning of March the network employed 340. The system said the state’s ban on elective procedures to free up capacity and supplies for COVID-19 patients cut into its revenue stream, according to the report.

6. Baptist Health, an eight-hospital system based in Louisville, Ky., has implemented temporary unpaid furloughs for employees in jobs that do not support caregivers or are not critical to treating COVID-19 patients. The health system did not disclose the number of furloughed employees.

“Our intent is to return to normal operations as soon as possible, and begin calling back employees. This is just a temporary measure,” said Baptist Health CEO Gerard Colman.

7. Lexington, Ky.-based UK HealthCare said it plans to place some employees on unpaid leave after April 25 if the pandemic continues to affect operations, according to WKYT. Direct care providers will not be affected by the furloughs.

8. Batesville, Ark.-based White River Health System has furloughed some employees for 30 days due to a decrease in patient volume, according to local news station KARK. It is unclear how many employees were placed on furlough, but they are expected to be temporary.

9. Citing volume declines of more than 50 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgetown, S.C.-based Tidelands Health has furloughed an undisclosed number of staff, according to WPDE, an ABC affiliate.

10. Gardener, Mass.-based Heywood Healthcare has furloughed an undisclosed number of staff in units and facilities that were closed in preparation for a surge of coronavirus patients, according to The Gardener News. The first furlough will last four weeks and will mainly affect staff that work in outpatient settings.

“We are actually seeing a $5 million drop in overall revenue for our organization, so we are going to really work on staffing, and we are going to implement a variety of things today, including furloughs — both full furloughs for staff and partial furloughs — continuing to use low activity days, some very limited layoffs, reducing scheduled hours, changing our on-call arrangements, restructuring job positions, reducing the contracted services we have, as we try to tackle and lower our expenses,” Win Brown, president and CEO of Heywood Healthcare, told the publication.

11. Brewer, Maine -based Northern Light Health is asking its staff to volunteer to take furloughs, according to CentralMaine.com. The health system said it has no plans to conduct involuntary furloughs.

April 9

1. Citing severe patient volume disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health plans to furlough at least 1,300 workers, cut pay for some senior leaders and suspend retirement contributions. Ballad is projecting a cash flow drop of $150 million in the next 90 days due to the suspension of elective procedures.

2. Lewiston-based Central Maine Healthcare will furlough 330 employees to help offset the revenue loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Bangor Daily News. The furloughs affect about 10 percent of its workforce.

“Furloughs like this are one way that we can adjust and manage the balance sheet appropriately. It also allows us to do that without having to sacrifice jobs permanently, without having to end the provision of care,” Kate Carlisle, director of public relations and community affairs for Central Maine Healthcare, told the publication.

3. Oswego (N.Y.) Health will furlough 25 percent of its workforce next week, according to Syracuse.com. Health system officials said that it has been losing about $180,000 per day since the beginning of March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Oswego Health said the furloughs should last about 10 to 12 weeks.

4. Citing a revenue and patient volume dip caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hopkinsville, Ky.-based Jenny Stuart Health has furloughed 248 staff members, according to Kentucky New Era. The health system has about 1,000 employees.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for our health system, and this is not a decision we made lightly. I regret the immediate personal impact on these employees and their families,” Jennie Stuart Health CEO Eric Lee told the publication.

5. Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic will furlough employees who are not involved in preparing for the anticipated surge in COVID-19 patients, according to local news station WEAU. The furloughs are expected to be temporary, and staff can be recalled at any point in time to help manage the surge, according to the report.

6. Due to the suspension of elective procedures, Ashtabula (Ohio) County Medical Center is furloughing a portion of its workforce, according to the Star Beacon. To reduce the number of employees affected by the furlough, the hospital is training some employees to support different clinical departments in anticipation of a surge of COVID-19 patients.

7. University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus in Topeka is laying off 29 employees and furloughing 235, according to The Topeka Capital Journal. The furloughs and layoffs are an effort to offset the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The furloughs affect about 17 percent of the hospital’s staff.

8. Holyoke, Colo.-based Melissa Memorial Hospital is placing 19 employees on furlough for about three months, according to The Holyoke Enterprise. Furloughed employees are expected to return to work on July 26. The hospital said the decision was made because revenue was down due to the suspension of elective procedures.

9. Mad River Community Hospital, a 78-bed hospital in Arcata, Calif., is placing some employees on a full or partial furlough, according to Lost Coast Outpost. Hospital officials said the move is “essential” to ensure its doors remain open after the pandemic.

10. Citing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oklahoma City-based Integris Health plans to furlough employees not involved in direct patient care, according to News 9. The furloughs are expected to be temporary. Affected employees will still receive health insurance benefits.

11. Abilene (Texas) Regional Medical Center has placed a small number of employees on furlough, according to KTXS, an ABC affiliate. Affected employees work in areas where services have been curtailed or suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 8

1. MUSC Health, an eight-hospital system based in Charleston, S.C., said it would temporarily lay off 900 employees, or 5 percent of its workforce, to offset the financial hit caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The temporary layoffs, which do not affect nonclinical workers, were effective April 7.

2. Nonclinical employees at Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare will be subject to mandatory paid time off or will be furloughed, the health system said April 7. The health system said the furloughs are necessary to help offset a revenue loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is important for the communities OSF has been called to serve for more than 142 years that we stabilize our financial position and protect our culture so we can continue to serve those communities, and our Mission Partners and their families in Illinois and Michigan,” said Mike Allen, CFO of OSF HealthCare. “Our priority remains equipping our frontlines with the resources they need to ensure the continuation of essential care, while protecting those providing that care.”

3. Citing a revenue and patient volume reduction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Holyoke, Mass.-based Valley Health System has furloughed 225 employees, according to Western Mass News. The furloughs affect about 11 percent of its workforce.

4. Odessa (Texas) Regional Medical Center has furloughed 60 employees to help offset a revenue loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CBS 7 reports. Affected employees will still receive insurance and are expected to be called back to work.

5. Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas, has furloughed 30 staff members after the facility was ordered to suspend the lucrative elective procedures to save resources and staff to treat COVID-19 patients, according to CBS 7. The hospital has reassigned hospital workers to different areas, but Medical Center Hospital CEO Russell Tippin told the publication that it has been difficult.

“We’re in such a regulated industry that it’s hard,” Mr. Tippin told CBS 7. “You can’t take a pharmacist and put them in radiology. And you can’t take a radiologist and put them in pharmacy.”

6. Citing financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Health System plans to furlough nonclinical workers in the coming weeks, according to a video from Adena CEO Jeff Graham.

7. In an effort to ease the financial damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Amarillo, Texas-based BSA Hospital plans to furlough some of its employees for up to 90 days, according to ABC 7 Amarillo.

8. Magnolia (Ark.) Regional Medical Center has furloughed an undisclosed number of nonclinical staff, including administrative and clerical workers, according to The Magnolia Banner News. The furloughs are expected to last at least two months. Affected staff will remain on the MRMC roster and maintain insurance, according to the report.

9. Caribou, Maine-based Cary Medical Center has furloughed a number of employees due to a drop in patient volume and revenue as a result of preparing for a COVID-19 patient surge, according to The Bangor Daily News. A majority of the furloughs affect support staff for physicians, according to the report.

10. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hartford, Conn.-based Trinity Health of New England plans to furlough an undisclosed number of employees, according to The Hartford Courant. The majority of the furloughs will affect nonclinical workers.

“This will enable us to focus our resources on the functions directly related to essential COVID-19 patient care needs that we anticipate, while protecting people and helping prevent the spread of the disease,” Trinity Health of New England said in a statement to The Hartford Courant.

April 7

1. Tulsa, Okla.-based HillCrest HealthCare System will furlough 600 employees for up to 90 days, according to local news station KRMG. The furloughs affect about 9 percent of staff and are a result of a decline in routine and elective procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Thomas Health System in South Charleston, W.Va., plans to furlough “less than 500” employees starting this week, according to the West Virginia Gazette Mail. In announcing the furloughs, the health system cited the suspension of nonemergent procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. Citing a decrease in patient volume and revenue due to the pandemic, Cookeville (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center has furloughed 400 employees, according to Fox 17 News.

“The pandemic created by COVID-19 has had a devastating impact not only in our community and state but across our entire country and the world that has required each of us to make sacrifices,” the hospital said in a statement to Fox 17 News.

4. Cape Fear Valley Health, based in Fayetteville, N.C., plans to furlough an additional 350 employees, according to The Fayetteville Observer. The health system had already furloughed about 300 employees on March 27. The health system said since the first round of furloughs, its inpatient occupancy has dropped to 60 percent.

5. Citing a revenue and patient volume drop from the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington Court House, Ohio-based Fayette County Memorial Hospital has furloughed 71 of its 352 employees, according to radio station WKKJ. The furloughs are expected to last for 30 days.

6. M Health Fairview, a 10-hospital system in Minneapolis, is asking physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in some clinics to volunteer to take a week of unpaid leave as a furlough, according to The Star Tribune.The system is taking volunteers for one-week physician furloughs through May 3. Those who volunteer will still receive benefits.

7. Mountain Home, Ark.-based Baxter Regional Medical Center plans to furlough an undisclosed number of employees to ease the financial hit from a decrease in volume and increased costs to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic, according to local news station KTLO. The furloughs are expected to be temporary. The hospital will reevaluate if additional measures are needed or if employees can return after four weeks.

8. Joplin, Mo.-based Freeman Health System plans to furlough an undisclosed number of employees after suspending elective procedures to prepare for the anticipated surge in COVID-19 patients, according to FourStatesHomepage.com

9. Lawrence (La.) General Hospital has placed 160 staff members on a four-week furlough, according to The Eagle Tribune. Most of the furloughs, which are expected to be temporary, affect nonclinical workers. Lawrence General has about 2,000 employees.

10. Froedtert Health has furloughed some workers, according to local news station Fox 6, which spoke to furloughed nurses from the Wauwatosa, Wis.-based system on the condition of anonymity.

April 6

1. Huntington, W.Va.-based Mountain Health Network furloughed 550 employees and cut the hours of 450, according to local news station WSAZ. The furloughs are a result of the financial and resource strain prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. LRGHealthcare, based in Laconia, N.H., plans to furlough 600 employees for up to four months to cope with the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Laconia Daily Sun. Affected employees will keep their medical insurance and can receive unemployment compensation.

3. Citing a 35 percent reduction in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Columbia, Tenn.-based Maury Regional Health will furlough 340 employees this week, according to The Columbia Daily Herald. Maury Regional Health employs more than 3,000.

“We are experiencing unprecedented events as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. After much deliberation, we were forced to make the difficult decision to furlough employees in the face of declining volumes and revenue. We plan to begin calling back employees as patient volumes normalize,” Maury Regional CEO Alan Watson told the Daily Herald.

4. Franklin, Tenn.-based Williamson Medical Center will furlough 200 employees due to a loss in revenue attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and government mandates to postpone elective procedures, according to The Tenneseean. The furloughs, which began taking place April 1, are expected to be temporary.

5. Coos Bay, Ore.-based North Bend Medical Center has furloughed 130 employees to prepare for the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to TheWorldLink.com. The medical center is still providing insurance to the furloughed workers.

6. Citing a $16 million revenue loss in March due to the postponement of elective procedures, Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Hospital will furlough an undisclosed number of employees, according to local news station WUSF. The hospital, which has 6,400 employees, expects to lose even more revenue in April and May due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

7. Dayton, Ohio-based Premier Health will furlough an undisclosed number of employees due to an anticipated financial hit from Ohio’s interim ban on nonessential surgeries, according to The Dayton Business Journal. The furloughs will affect employees that are not providing patient care.

8. Due to a loss in revenue and patient volume, Conway (S.C.) Medical Center plans to furlough about 100 employees who are not frontline care providers, according to WMBF. The hospital said the mandate on suspending elective procedures caused the revenue and volume drop.

April 3

1. Burlington, Mass.-based Wellforce, which includes four community hospitals, one academic medical center and a children’s hospital, has furloughed 719 workers, according to the Boston Business Journal. The affected employees will be furloughed for at least 90 days to help the system deal with the drastic volume decrease from suspending elective procedures. In addition, 1,236 employees will have their hours and pay reduced, according to the report.

2. Southbridge, Mass.-based Harrington Healthcare has furloughed 131 employees across its network this week, according to MassLive. About 20 of the 131 affected employees were “partially furloughed,” meaning their hours were significantly reduced, according to the report. Chris Canniff, the company’s vice president of administration and human resources, said the provider has seen a 50 percent decline in patient volume amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Furloughed employees will not be paid for four weeks.

3. Seattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center said it has seen a 30 percent decline in revenue since the COVID-19 pandemic started and Gov. Jay Inslee ordered hospitals to suspend elective procedures. As a result, the system is furloughing an undisclosed number of employees, according to local station K5 News. Most of the affected employees are in nonclinical roles.

“We rely substantially on outpatient revenue to ensure our financial viability,” wrote medical center executives in an internal memo to Virginia Mason leaders obtained by K5 News. “This is an unprecedented time and it calls for drastic measures.”

4. Citing drastic revenue decreases and increased expenses, Columbus, Ohio-based Mount Carmel Health System will furlough nonclinical staff, according to ABC 6. The health system said fewer than 500 employees will be affected. The system employs more than 10,000. In addition to the furloughs, the health system is implementing pay cuts for executives and physicians, according to the report.

5. Atlantic City, N.J.-based AtlantiCare has furloughed some of its workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to NJ.com. In addition, the system has asked staff members, including nurses and physicians, to voluntarily take a furlough or a reduction in their hours, according to Press of Atlantic City. The staffing changes began taking place March 30. The changes are considered temporary, and affected employees will keep their benefits.

6. Citing a drop in patient revenue due to government mandates to help the COVID-19 pandemic, Dayton, Ohio-based Kettering Health Network is placing some of its employees on furlough, according to the Dayton Business Journal.

7. New Bedford, Mass.-based Southcoast Health will furlough some staff not actively involved in patient care efforts because the health system is absorbing a deep revenue hit, according to Southcoast Today. The health system will pay a portion of furloughed employees’ insurance premiums through June 30.

April 2

1. Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health plans to furlough 2,500 employees. The system made the decision to help offset the financial hit from COVID-19. Most of the affected employees are in nonclinical roles.

2. Boston Medical Center is furloughing 700 staff members, or 10 percent of its workforce, due to financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Kate Walsh, CEO of Boston Medical Center, told The Globe that the hospital has lost about $5 million in revenue per week, and that the furloughs will help save the system about $1 million per week.

3. Citing a revenue hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health will furlough 700 employees and freeze wages of all nonclinical personnel. The furloughs are expected to begin next week and last 30 to 90 days, depending on how long the pandemic lasts, according to Bon Secours Mercy Health CEO John Starcher. Bon Secours Mercy Health estimates it will see an operating loss of at least $100 million per month while the pandemic lasts.

4. Citing a severe disruption in services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health has placed about 500 nonclinical staff on administrative leave.

5. Hartford-based Connecticut Children’s Medical Center is furloughing 400 employees across its system due to the expected financial hit from COVID-19, according to The Hartford Courant. The system said its patient volume has been cut in half due to halting elective procedures. Furloughed employees are mainly nonclinical workers, and are expected to return to work in early June, or when elective procedures can resume.

6. Clay County Medical Center, a 25-bed hospital in Clay Center, Kan., has furloughed 25 percent of its staff in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Clay Center Dispatch. It has about 300 employees, according to its website.

7. Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tenn., will temporarily furlough 200 employees to sustain its financial resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

8. Dallas-based Steward Health Care is informing employees to expect furloughs at its facilities across the U.S. as the system works to overcome the “seismic shock” of the COVID-19 pandemic. The health system said it has started a temporary furlough program for some employees of its hospitals in nine states. Most affected staff work in nonclinical jobs.

9. Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital System, faced with expenses and a loss of revenue due to the novel coronavirus, has implemented a cost reduction plan that includes furloughs, according to AL.com. Huntsville Hospital said April 9 that it had to furlough or cut hours for 2,000 employees.

10. Syracuse, N.Y.-based St. Joseph Health plans to furlough an undisclosed number of workers as it prepares to deal with an “unprecedented fiscal fallout” from the COVID-19 pandemic, Syracuse.com reports. St. Joseph Health will also cut pay for senior management.

11. Baptist Health in Little Rock, Ark., has started furloughing an undisclosed number of employees this week to address an expected revenue loss from the pandemic.

12. Little Rock-based Arkansas Heart Hospital has furloughed workers due to the interruption of normal hospital operations.

March 27 to April 1

1. Citing the financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health said it will furlough an undisclosed number of clinical, corporate and administrative workers. On April 9, Prisma Health executives told legislators that it was forced to furlough or cut hours for 3,900 of its 30,000 person workforce, according to The State.

2. Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health System said it is implementing a cost-reduction plan that includes furloughs and pay reductions for leadership. The moves were prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Administrative employees also are affected by the furlough.

3. Appalachian Regional Healthcare, a 13-hospital system in Lexington, Ky., will furlough about 500 employees due to a sharp reduction in business and revenue. In addition to the financial aspect, Appalachian Regional said its decision was to protect employees not involved in direct patient care from contracting the novel virus and ensure that the health system has enough supplies to treat the anticipated surge of COVID-19 patients.

4. Cleveland-based St. Vincent Charity Medical Center has furloughed about 70 employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Affected employees include nurses, surgical assistants, clerical and other support staff.

5. Morehead, Ky.-based St. Claire HealthCare announced it will furlough 300 employees who are not involved in direct patient care to ensure it can sustain clinical operations during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

6. Astoria, Ore.-based Columbia Memorial Hospital has furloughed 90 of its 740 employees after the facility scaled back nonemergent procedures to concentrate on the coronavirus.

7. Citing the spreading and unforgiving demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canton, Ohio-based Mercy Medical Center has furloughed workers. The move came shortly after the state ordered hospitals to suspend elective surgeries and procedures to free up capacity and supplies to treat COVID-19 patients.The number of staff affected was not disclosed.

8. Meadville (Pa.) Medical Center has furloughed more than 225 employees to ensure the hospital’s financial stability. The hospital said the furlough is expected to last through April 5, but warned an extension is possible if the pandemic continues to affect business operations and revenue.

9. To help the system survive the economic challenges linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rockford, Ill.-based Mercyhealth has furloughed an undisclosed number of employees who are not providing direct patient care.

10. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewisburg, Pa.-based Evangelical Community Hospital has furloughed a “significant” number of employees who are not involved in direct patient care.

Henry Ford Health to furlough 2,800 workers

Posted on April 23, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in Cash, Cash Reserves, Cash-Flow Improvements, Coronavirus, Crisis, Crisis Management, Employee Benefits, Employee Furlough, Employee Layoffs, Employee Pay Cuts, Employer-Based Health Insurance, Health Insurance Coverage Adequacy, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Industry, Out of Pocket Expenses, Pandemic, Underinsured, Unemployment, Unemployment Insurance, Uninsured • Leave a comment

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/henry-ford-health-to-furlough-2-800-workers.html?utm_medium=email

Henry Ford furloughing 2,800 employees due to COVD-19 financial ...

Financial damage from the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System to furlough 2,800 workers, the health system announced April 22.

The six-hospital system decided to furlough employees who are not directly involved in patient care after recording a $43 million loss in operating income in March due to the cancellation of elective procedures, temporary site closures, and expenses related to personal protective equipment and other supplies needed to care for COVID-19 patients. The health system expects more significant losses in April and May.

“I know that news concerning furloughs is painful — especially for an organization like ours, whose greatest strength has always been our people,” Henry Ford President and CEO Wright Lassiter III wrote in an email to employees. “We value each team member’s unique contribution and this decision does not change that. But, we must face these realities head on.”

In addition to the furloughs, the health system’s executives and senior leaders will begin contributing 10 percent to 25 percent of their salaries to funds created to support employees.

Henry Ford Health reported a net operating loss of $36.2 million for the first three months of this year, compared to operating income of $39.4 million in the same period of 2019.

Mayo Clinic furloughs, cuts hours of 30,000 employees to help offset $3B in pandemic losses

Posted on April 23, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in Cash, Cash Reserves, Coronavirus, Crisis, Crisis Management, Employee Benefits, Employee Furlough, Employee Layoffs, Employee Pay Cuts, Employee Protections, Employer-Based Health Insurance, Health Insurance Coverage Adequacy, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Industry, Out of Pocket Expenses, Pandemic, Physician, Underinsured, Unemployment, Unemployment Insurance, Uninsured • Leave a comment

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Information for Orlando Residents - Orlando - Mayo Clinic

Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic said it will furlough or cut the hours of about 30,000 staff members to help offset about $3 billion in losses incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Post Bulletin.

Mayo Clinic announced that it would need to take several cost cutting measures, including furloughs, earlier in April. However, the system didn’t disclose the number of employees that would be affected.

The temporary reduction in workforce is one of the ways the system is working to offset a $3 billion loss from the pandemic. Even with the cost-cutting measures, Mayo anticipates a $900 million shortfall this year.

The furloughs or reduced hours affect about 42 percent of Mayo Clinic’s 70,000 employees across its campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.

Affected employees will still receive healthcare benefits.

The furloughs will begin in May and be spread throughout the rest of the year, Mayo Clinic spokesperson Ginger Plumbo told the publication. The duration of the furlough will vary depending on the hospital unit, she added.

The furloughs will not affect physicians at the system, but physicians will receive a 10 percent wage reduction. In addition, senior managers will receive pay cuts of 15 percent and top executives will take a 20 percent reduction.

The furloughs, cut hours and wage reductions are expected to save $1.4 billion.

Mayo Clinic also has been taking other cost-cutting measures, including a hiring freeze and halting major construction projects.

Mayo Clinic is also tapping into its reserves to bring $900 million in cash to the system.

Operating margins plummet at US hospitals, Kaufman Hall says

Posted on April 22, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in Cash, Cash Reserves, Cash-Flow Improvements, Coronavirus, Crisis, Crisis Management, Elective Procedures, Elective Surgery, Employee Benefits, Employee Furlough, Employee Layoffs, Employee Pay Cuts, Employer-Based Health Insurance, Health Insurance Coverage Adequacy, Health Policy, Health System, Infection Control, Infectious Virus, Net Income, Operating Expenses, Operating Income, Operating Margin, Operating Performance, Operating Revenue, Out of Pocket Expenses, Pandemic, Paycheck Protection Program, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Supply Chain, Underinsured, Unemployment, Unemployment Insurance, Uninsured • Leave a comment

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/Kaufman-hospitals-operating-margin-decline/576491/

Third Quarter Investment Report: Moving Into Choppy Waters « CPEA ...

Dive Brief:

Operating margins at the nation’s hospitals have plummeted due to large-scale volume and revenue declines coupled with flat to rising expenses, according to a new report from Kaufman Hall.
Based on March data from more than 800 U.S. hospitals, average operating margins dropped 150% year over year, plunging non-profit hospitals, which historically operate on already thin margins, into troublesome territory.
The data paint a dire picture for U.S. hospitals. “These initial numbers only reflect the first two weeks of the COVID-19 response and likely indicate more negative results in the future,” Jim Blake, managing director at Kaufman Hall, said in a statement.

Dive Insight:

Hospitals depend heavily on elective surgeries for revenue, but had to cancel or postpone many of them starting last month in order to preserve coveted COVID-19 resources such as personal protective equipment, beds and staff.

Those measures have upended the financial health of the entire industry in a matter of just weeks, according to new data and analysis from Kaufman Hall.

“We anticipate April will be significantly worse, and at this point, no one knows how long hospitals will continue on their current path,” Blake said.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, patient volumes overall have plunged. During March, the median hospital occupancy rate was 53%, with operating room minutes down 20% year-over-year and emergency room visits down 15% year over year, according to the report.

At the same time, hospitals’ labor expenses were up 3% year over year, and non-labor expenses were up 1%. In order to rein in operating costs, some health systems have begun to furlough or lay off workers.

While non-profit systems are especially vulnerable given their razor-thin margins, major for-profit systems are also struggling financially.

HCA Healthcare, Community Health Systems and Tenet Healthcare have all pulled their 2020 guidance in response to the pandemic. In its first quarter report Tuesday, HCA attributed a steep decrease in volumes and 45% drop in profit to the pandemic.

And Jefferies analyst wrote in a note Tuesday they are reducing their volume and earnings expectations for those companies for this year and 2021 based on the pandemic. “Our belief is that high unemployment translates to reduced commercial insurance coverage and disposable income to fund co-pays/deductibles, which results in fewer physician visits and procedures,” they wrote.

Under these circumstances, the federal government has attempted to financially support struggling hospitals through ongoing coronavirus relief legislation.

First came accelerated Medicare payments based on reimbursement data, in the form of loans that providers will have to pay back.

Separately, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed by Congress in March benchmarked $100 billion in funding to provide financial support to struggling hospitals.

A $30 billion first round was announced April 8 and given to providers based on historic Medicare payments. A second round of CARES act funding for systems in hot spots is next, although the timing is unclear.

On Tuesday the Senate approved a separate $484 billion aid package, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, that would send an additional $75 billion in emergency funds to hospitals. It also allocates $25 billion to expand testing for the virus across the country.

The White House expressed support for the package. It still needs House approval, which could happen as soon as this week.

The latest package comes in response to depleted funding for the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. Upon replenishing those funds, smaller health systems may be eligible for forgivable PPP loans used to meet payroll and other operating costs, but only if they have 500 or fewer employees.

39 hospitals get negative rating outlook from S&P amid pandemic

Posted on April 22, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in Cash, Cash Reserves, Cash-Flow Improvements, Coronavirus, Credit Quality, Credit Ratings, Crisis, Crisis Management, Financial Pressure, Financially Distressed, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Industry, Operating Expenses, Operating Income, Operating Margin, Operating Performance, Operating Revenue, Pandemic • Leave a comment

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/39-hospitals-get-negative-rating-outlook-from-s-p-amid-pandemic.html?utm_medium=email

Standard & Poor's lowers credit rating outlook to negative

S&P Global Ratings has revised the rating outlook for 39 hospitals to negative from stable due to the financial hit caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The affected hospitals have speculative-grade ratings or have about 100 days’ cash on hand or less, S&P said.

A negative outlook reflects S&P’s view that there is a 33 percent chance that operating and economic conditions will worsen to a degree that will cause a rating downgrade.

Below are the 39 hospitals or obligated groups, and their current rating:

1. Atrius Health (Auburndale, Mass.) — “BBB”
2. Bibb County Healthcare Authority (Centreville, Ala.) — “BB”
3. Dawson County Hospital District (Lamessa, Texas) — “CCC”
4. Delta (Colorado) County Memorial Hospital District — “BB”
5. Ector County Hospital District (Odessa, Texas) — “BBB”
6. Genesis HealthCare System (Zanesville, Ohio) — “BB+”
7. Grand River Hospital District (Rifle, Colo.) — “BB+”
8. Griffin Health Services (Derby, Conn.) — “BB+”
9. Guadalupe Regional Medical Center (Seguin, Texas) — “BB”
10. Hardin Memorial Hospital (Elizabethtown, Ky.) — “A-”
11. Holy Name Medical Center (Teaneck, N.J.) — “BBB”
12. Jackson Hospital and Clinic (Montgomery, Ala.) — “BBB-”
13. Jefferson County Public Hospital District No. 2 (Port Townsend, Wash.) — “BB+”
14. Jennie Stuart Medical Center (Hopkinsville, Ky.) — “BB+”
15. Lifespan (Providence, R.I.) — “BBB+”
16. Loma Linda (Calif.) University Medical Center — “BB-”
17. Madison Memorial Hospital (Rexburg, Idaho) — “BB+”
18. Milford (Mass.) Regional Medical Center — “BB+”
19. Mohawk Valley Health System (Utica, N.Y.) — “BB+”
20. National Jewish Health (Denver) — “BB+”
21. Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital (Dansville, N.Y.) — “BB”
22. North Oaks Health System (Hammond, La.) — “BB+”
23. Oak Valley Hospital District (Oakdale, Calif.) — “BB”
24. Opelousas (La.) General Hospital Authority — “BB+”
25. Oroville (Calif.) Hospital — “BB+”
26. OU Medicine (Oklahoma City) — “BB+”
27. Palomar Health (Poway, Calif.) — “BBB”
28. Pomona (Calif.) Valley Hospital Medical Center — “BBB”
29. Pullman (Wash.) Regional Hospital — “BBB-”
30. Rochester (N.Y.) General Hospital — “A-”
31. Ryder Memorial Hospital (Humacao, Puerto Rico) — “CCC”
32. Samaritan Medical Center (Watertown, N.Y.) — “BBB-”
33. Southeastern Regional Medical Center (Lumberton, N.C.) — “BBB+”
34. SoutheastHealth (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) — “BBB-”
35. Southwest Louisiana Hospital Association (Lake Charles) — “BB+”
36. Temple University Health System (Philadelphia) — “BBB-”
37. Westchester County Health Care Corporation (Valhalla, N.Y.) — “BBB-”
38. White River Health System (Batesville, Ark.) — “BBB-”
39. Winkler County Hospital District (Kermit, Texas) — “BB+”

Tower Health furloughs 1,000 workers amid dramatic revenue drop

Posted on April 22, 2020 by henrykotula • Posted in Cash, Cash Reserves, Cash-Flow Improvements, Coronavirus, Crisis, Crisis Management, Economic Crisis, Economic Stimulus, Elective Procedures, Employee Furlough, Employee Layoffs, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Industry, Net Income, Operating Expenses, Operating Income, Operating Margin, Operating Performance, Operating Revenue, Pandemic • Leave a comment

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/tower-health-furloughs-1-000-workers-amid-dramatic-revenue-drop.html?utm_medium=email

Under financial pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, Philadelphia-based Tower Health has furloughed at least 1,000 employees, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Tower Health implemented the furloughs, which affect roughly 7 percent of the system’s 14,000-person workforce, after suspending elective procedures and shutting down many of its outpatient clinics. The seven-hospital system said it has lost as much as half its revenue, according to the report.

Tower Health received more than $23 million in grants made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, but it’s still facing financial pressure.

“These funds, while helpful, do not come close to making up for the decline in revenue Tower Health has experienced in March and into April,” a spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Tower Health joins more than 150 other hospitals and health systems across the U.S. that have furloughed workers in recent months.

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HENRY KOTULA

A Healthcare Leadership Blog

Category Archives: Cash Reserves

Key findings

Forecasting substantive impacts on 2020 performance

Takeaways

Cost pressures intensifying

Takeaways

Priorities to de-risk supply chains

Takeaways

Strategies yet to change, but tech likely to drive M&A

Takeaways

Business recovery timeframes have extended

Takeaways

Consumer-facing companies reconfigure physical sites as shutdowns start to lift

Takeaways

Health system pivots to new ways of working

Takeaways

Financial firms see fewer layoffs, but slower recovery

Takeaways

Deeper insight into health of suppliers is top priority for industrial products

Takeaways

Tech, media and telecom well-positioned to power the recovery

Takeaways

Where to focus next

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Dive Brief:

Dive Insight:

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Key findings

Economic events shaping CFO response last week

Post-crisis world taking shape in plans to reboot the workplace

Takeaways

Forecasting substantive impacts on 2020 performance

Takeaways

Cost pressures intensifying

Takeaways

Priorities to de-risk supply chains

Takeaways

Strategies yet to change, but tech likely to drive M&A

Takeaways

Business recovery timeframes have extended

Takeaways

Consumer-facing companies reconfigure physical sites as shutdowns start to lift

Takeaways

Health system pivots to new ways of working

Takeaways

Financial firms see fewer layoffs, but slower recovery

Takeaways

Deeper insight into health of suppliers is top priority for industrial products

Takeaways

Tech, media and telecom well-positioned to power the recovery

Takeaways

Where to focus next

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