Falling property tax revenue and a reduction in a federal reimbursement for treating Medicaid patients could leave the JPS Health Network with a $10 million to $25 million operating loss next fiscal year. However, network officials said they're confident that they can balance the budget without impeding improvements to patient care. They also noted that many other entities are facing worse budget scenarios because of the economic downturn. "It's a balancing act," network CEO Robert Earley said. "You cannot just make cuts, and you cannot just start new programs. We know we have a major responsibility to the taxpayer and a major responsibility to the patient."