Jackson Memorial (FL) struggles to find out which services make money

When Jackson Health System leaders held a retreat recently to discuss how to boost more profitable services, they faced one overwhelming challenge: They don't know which procedures make money.

"This is a huge problem,'' says Ted Shaw, who has been serving as the interim chief financial officer.

Experts say well-run hospitals -- for-profit and nonprofit -- have long known exact details on costs and revenue for each service they provide.