A new report revealed last week that over a dozen Alabama hospitals risk closing in 2023.
The Alabama Hospital Association discussed the financial toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on state hospitals during a Feb.2 press conference. A panel of state healthcare professionals delved into a report from Kaufman Hall, a healthcare and higher education consulting firm.
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qmpk^DA2?mkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm44@C5:?8 E@ pwp AC6D:56?E sC]k^DA2?m kDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qms@?2=5 t] (:==:2>D@?k^DA2?mkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm[ E96 pwp :?:E:2==J 4@>>:DD:@?65 z2F7>2? w2== E@ 4@?5F4E 2 4@>AC696?D:G6 p=232>2\7@4FD65 C6A@CE 7@==@H:?8 E96 7:C>’D a_aa DEF5J :?G6DE:82E:?8 E96 A2?56>:4’D 67764ED @? E96 &]$] 962=E942C6 DJDE6>] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qmq2D65 @? E96 p=232>2 DEF5J[ 96 D2:5 DE2E6 962=E942C6 =6256CD 92G6 82:?65 8C62E6C :?D:89E :?E@ =:?86C:?8 67764ED @7 E96 A2?56>:4[ :?4=F5:?8 ?@H 7:?2?4:2= :>A24ED] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm(:==:2>D@?k^DA2?m kDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm?@E65 E92E p=232>2 9@DA:E2=D D6CG65 2D 2 >2:?=:?6 5676?D6 282:?DE r~'xs\`h D:?46 E96 :?:E:2= @FE3C62< @7 E96 G:CFD E9C66 J62CD 28@[ 3FE D2:5 E92Ek^DA2?m kDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm2446DD E@ 962=E942C6 :? p=232>2 4@F=5 ?@H 36 ;6@A2C5:K65 5F6 E@ E96 DE2886C:?8 7:?2?4:2= =@DD6D p=232>2 9@DA:E2=D :?4FCC65 5FC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm“k^DA2?mkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qmx E9:?< E9:D 52E2 D9@HD E92E 7C2?<=J p=232>2 9@DA:E2=D 7246 2? 6I:DE6?E:2= 4C:D:D :? E6C>D @7 DFCG:G:?8[”k^DA2?m kDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm(:==:2>D@? D2:5] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE[k^DA2?m kDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm9@DA:E2= k^DA2?mkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm>2C8:?D :? p=232>2 92G6 564=:?65 fh A6C46?E D:?46 E96 DE2CE @7 E96 A2?56>:4[ 56DA:E6 DE2E6 9@DA:E2=D C646:G:?8 7:?2?4:2= 2DD:DE2?46 5:C64E=J 7C@> E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm%96 C:D:?8 4@DED 92G6 C6DF=E65 :? p=232>2’D 9@DA:E2=D 4@==64E:G6=J AC@4FC:?8 S`]d 3:==:@? :? =@DD6D 5FC:?8 E96 AC:@C E9C66 J62CD] (:==:2>D@? D2:5 E96 7:?2?4:2= 3FC56? 4@F=5 C6DF=E :? `d CFC2= p=232>2 9@DA:E2=D 36:?8 :? 52?86C @7 D9FEE6C:?8 :? a_ab :7 4@FCD6 :D?’E C6G6CD65] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7QmpD 2 CFC2= 9@DA:E2=[ #FDD6== |65:42= r6?E6C 4FCC6?E=J 7246D 2 D:>:=2C 7:?2?4:2= 492==6?86 7C@> E96 A2?56>:4[ D2:5 E96 9@DA:E2=’Dk^DA2?m kDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm49:67 7:?2?4:2= @77:46C |2EE u:D96C[ 2?5 :56?E:7:65 C:D:?8 =23@C 2?5 >65:42= DFAA=J 4@DED 2D 4@?EC:3FE:?8 724E@CD] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm“(6 D2H 2 ?F>36C @7 4=:?:4:2?D C6E:C6 2E E96 368:??:?8 @7 r~'xs :7 E96J H6C6 :? 2 A@D:E:@? H96C6 E96J 4@F=5 3642FD6 E96C6 H2D D@ >F49 F?46CE2:?EJ[ 2?5 6G6CJ@?6 H2D D42C65[” 96 D2:5] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qmu:D96C D2:5 :? 255:E:@? E@ C6E:C6>6?E E92E 9@DA:E2= DE277 2=D@ 82:?65 6>A=@J>6?E H:E9:? E96 =F4C2E:G6 EC2G6=:?8 ?FCD6 :?5FDECJ E92E 6>6C865 :? E96 >@?E9D 7@==@H:?8 E96 A2?56>:4] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm“|2?J @7 @FC 4=:?:4:2?D D@F89E @FE E9@D6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D H96C6 E96J H@F=5 D66 2? :?4C62D6 :? E96:C A2J[ 2?5 H6VC6 ?@E E2=<:?8 23@FE 2 d E@ `_ A6C46?E :?4C62D6[ 3FE 2 d_ E@ fd A6C46?E :?4C62D6 :? A2J[” 96 D2:5]k^DA2?m kDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm“sFC:?8 E9@D6 C62==J E@F89 A6C:@5D @7 r~'xs[ H6 H6C6 :? AC6EEJ 56DA6C2E6 ?665 @7 DE277 2?5 H6 H6C6 :? 2 A@D:E:@? @7 2=>@DE AC:46 E2<6CD]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm%96 9@DA:E2=VD =23@C 4@DED 2D 2 C6DF=E :?4C62D65 af A6C46?E 4@>A2C65 E@ AC6\A2?56>:4 J62CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ u:D96C[ 2?5 D2:5 E92E #FDD6== |65:42= r6?E6C 92D C6=:65 @? E96 4@>A2?J’D 7:?2?4:2= C6D6CG6D E@ 255C6DD C:D:?8 6IA6?D6D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm“(92E 92D 92AA6?65 E@ FD 2?5 >2?J @E96C 9@DA:E2=D 24C@DD E96 DE2E6 :D H6 92G6 366? 7@C465 E@ E2A :?E@ @FC C6D6CG6D[ 2?5 H6VG6 925 E@ FD6 2 EC6>6?5@FD 2>@F?E @7 42D9 @G6C E96 =2DE 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD ;FDE E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ 7:== E96 82A[” 96 D2:5] ~3G:@FD=J[ H6 42?VE 4@?E:?F6 E@ 7:== E96 82A 7@C 2? :?567:?:E6 2>@F?E @7 E:>6[ @C H6V== 2== CF? @FE @7 >@?6J]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qmw@H6G6C[ u:D96C 56D4C:365 4FCE2:=:?8 9@DA:E2= D6CG:46D @C 724:=:EJ 4=@DFC6D 2D 2 =2DE C6D@CE 7@C >2?J 9@DA:E2=D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm“(6 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J 6G2=F2E:?8[ 3FE @FC 3@2C5 @7 5:C64E@CD :D 6IEC6>6=J 4@>>:EE65 E@ E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2?5 E96C6 :D 2 56D:C6 E@ @776C 2D >2?J D6CG:46D 2D A@DD:3=6 E@ E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ] $@ 4FEE:?8 D6CG:46D H@F=5 36 2 =2DE C6D@CE[” 96 D2:5] “&?=:<6 >@DE CFC2= 9@DA:E2=D :? E9:D DE2E6[ #FDD6== |65:42= :D F?:BF6 :? E96 D6CG:46D E92E H6 @776C[ 2?5 x 42? 8@ :?E@ E96 >2?J DA64:2=E:6D E92E H6 92G6 E92E D@ >2?J CFC2= 9@DA:E2=D 42?VE D2J E92E E96J @776C]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qmu:D96C D2:5 E92E #FDD6== |65:42= r6?E6C 2?5 @E96C p=232>2 9@DA:E2=D H@F=5 C2E96C 36 :? 72G@C @7 =2H>2<6CD 6IA2?5:?8 |65:42:5[ H9:49 962=E942C6 AC@76DD:@?2=D DE2E6H:56 36=:6G6 4@F=5 D6CG6 2D 2 =@?8\E6C> D@=FE:@? E@ E96 4C:D:D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qm“w@DA:E2=D 2?5 =6256CD9:A @7 9@DA:E2=D 2C6 G6CJ >F49 :? 72G@C @7 E96 6IA2?D:@? @7 |65:42:5] (6 E9:?< E92E H@F=5 36 2 9F86 96=A E@ FD 2?5 6G6CJ 9@DA:E2= :? E9:D DE2E6[” u:D96C D2:5] “x E9:?< :EVD 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 >@C6 E92? ;FDE E9:D[ @C p#!p WkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\hef53afd\f777\fhb6\dcah\7fb663c6c5d7Qmp>6C:42? #6D4F6 !=2? p4EX k^DA2?m7F?5D[ :EVD 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 255:E:@?2= 492?86D E@ DE23:=:K6 9@DA:E2=D 24C@DD E96 DE2E6]”k^DA2?mk^Am