PA hospitals bank on neurosurgery procedures to boost bottom line

Cash-hungry hospitals are banking that more brain operations, spinal procedures and other neurosurgery will shore up revenues and profits, diversifying their finances from cancer and heart programs that were once untouchable cash cows, health economists say. Toughening competition to woo the brightest brain surgeons has found a nexus in Western Pennsylvania, where rival hospital networks are trying to lure the best doctors and keep their neurosurgery departments hopping. North Side-based Allegheny Health Network has hired four former UPMC neurosurgeons since January 2013 and wants to keep recruiting, with plans to increase its 7,600 annual neurosurgical procedures by 20 percent by summer 2016.