Investigation finds Massachusetts hospital misstated financials

An audit and investigation has found that two senior executives of Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA, created documents that misstated the hospital's financial condition over parts of three fiscal years. The executives made the hospital's performance appear better than it actually was, at a time when it was seeking donations for a major expansion. As a result, Emerson violated some promises it made to lenders that forced the hospital to reclassify some of its borrowing as short-term debt. The move could now limit Emerson's borrowing ability.