Recession weakens hospitals' capital spending projects

Medical-related capital spending projects are being put on hold throughout North Texas and the rest of the nation, according to local hospital builders and the American Hospital Association. Nearly half of 639 hospitals nationwide that were surveyed between late December and Jan. 6 have postponed projects that were to begin within the next six months, according to the AHA. And many have stopped projects that were in progress. Hospitals mostly rely on borrowed money, philanthropy and reserves to fund capital projects, but an increasing number of hospitals are finding it difficult to get money from these sources, the AHA said.