Hospital representatives flooded the halls of the General Assembly this week to lobby for more funding and against a proposal that would allow same-day surgery centers to sidestep the state's certification process. Members of the N.C. Hospital Association told lawmakers they have been hit hard by federal and state cutbacks and that losing surgery patients to stand-alone centers could cost them as much as $400 million a year."We are struggling; that's the main message I want legislators to hear," said Tim Rice, chief executive officer of Greensboro-based Cone Health, a member of the N.C. Hospital Association delegation that met with Senate Leader Phil Berger, House Speaker Thom Tillis and other legislators.
