HCA Virginia has sued the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors for denying its application to build a 164-bed hospital, saying that the board's vote was "arbitrary, unreasonable, capricious and illegal" because the state health commissioner had approved the hospital's location. The lawsuit extends a long fight over a project that HCA proposed in 2002, and it marks the second time the company has sued the county board over its rejection of the plans.
Mayo Clinic officials have announced that it barely broke even in 2008 as expenses raced ahead of revenue. While the number of patients was stable, income from patient care fell by almost one third during the year. Mayo also increased spending on research, adding staff, and opening a hospital in Florida. Expenses grew by 7.6% while revenue grew 4.5%.
Massachusetts officials gave final approval to regulations banning pharmaceutical and medical device companies from providing gifts to physicians, limiting when companies can pay for doctors' meals, and requiring companies to publicly disclose payments to doctors over $50 for certain types of consulting and speaking engagements. Health officials said the rules are the most comprehensive in the nation; Massachusetts is now the only state to require disclosure by device makers, as well as drug companies, and just one of two states to make disclosures public, officials said.
Two Kansas City-area hospitals will modify their facilities as part of a settlement of class-action litigation in Florida against HCA Inc.-owned hospitals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Menorah Medical Center and Overland Park Regional Medical Center have agreed to make alterations to accommodate individuals with mobility, visual, or hearing impairments. The settlement is one of many entered into by HCA-owned hospitals across the country in the last several years.
Charlotte, NC-based Carolinas HealthCare System reported a net loss of more than $551 million for 2008, driven by significant investment losses and higher interest expenses. The system's investment losses for 2008 totaled $538 million. At the start of 2008, Carolinas HealthCare officials had anticipated gains of more than $100 million on the system's investments, or an 8% return.
Responding to warnings of a looming doctor shortage, existing medical schools are increasing enrollment, and new ones are opening or under development across the county. Medical school expansion plans are rushing ahead despite the severe economic downturn, even in the battered home of the nation's struggling auto industry.