Hospitals are spending more to hire travel nurses and also retain critical staff. Nearly 70% of hospitals reported travel nurse expenses increasing more than 20%. More than half reported they’ve increased salaries and benefits by 15% or more, and an additional third said labor costs have increased nearly 30% since the start of 2021.
Financial challenges and low patient count are why many rural hospitals close down but with this comes an increase in the proximity to the nearest hospital and the risk of medical emergencies.
Despite decades of effort to change emergency care at American hospitals and cope with ever-growing numbers of patient visits, the system is showing increasing signs of severe strain, according to two new studies.
Hospitals around the country, from regional medical centers to smaller local facilities are closing down pediatric units. The reason is stark economics: Institutions make more money from adult patients.
Crouse Hospital faces a bleak future if it does not merge with its next-door neighbor, SUNY Upstate University Hospital. The financially distressed hospital's annual losses could balloon to $45 million by 2026 if it doesn't tie the knot with Upstate and continues operating on its own.
Large health systems have faced scrutiny because of elevated admission rates for more than a decade, and HCA—with 180 hospitals across the country—is the latest to be accused of putting profits before patient care when it's making decisions to admit patients.