EMHS on budget as other ME hospitals struggle financially

BREWER, Maine — About 60 percent of Maine hospitals are operating at a loss, but Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems isn't among them, according to EMHS President and CEO Michelle Hood. Hood, citing 2012 figures compiled by the Maine Hospital Association, laid out the system's financial picture Wednesday at an annual meeting of EMHS corporators, a group of volunteer community members who provide oversight of the health organization. The tough economic climate has contributed to financial struggles at some hospitals in Maine, and many are likely to respond by downsizing, joining bigger systems and looking for new business models, Hood said.