Seven-digit shortfall has new Erlanger CEO seeing red

A big, red, seven-digit number isn't the best welcome for a new CEO. But it's the greeting Erlanger's new top executive received at his first finance meeting Monday night. In its worst month this fiscal year, Erlanger lost almost $5 million in March, Chief Financial Officer Britt Tabor told the hospital's Budget and Finance Committee. March's shortfall doubled year-to-date losses from where they were the previous month. After nine months of fluctuating monthly financial reports, Erlanger's year-to-date losses now stand at $9.4 million. That's better than where the hospital was at this time last year -- about $17 million in the red -- but it's still not "where the hospital should be," said Tabor.