COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – It was a bumpy trail financially in 2014 for the Community Health Center of Branch County and while the final numbers for last year haven’t yet been totaled up, the CHC Board of Trustees heard last night what the month of November brought to the bottom line. Hospital President and CEO Randy DeGroot said November produced significant negative volumes, especially when compared to October, describing the drop in patient revenue as a dramatic decline.
DeGroot reported that while there were improvements over of a year ago, this November was a low volume month pretty much all the way around. Admissions were down 14% from what the Health Center averaged on a monthly basis throughout the year. Emergency room visits totaled 1,899 in November, down from an average of 2,100, or almost ten percent for the month, surgical cases declined 7.5% as well, and inpatient revenue fell 18% below the monthly average for 2014.
Despite the year end downturn, CHC officials continue to have faith in their turnaround plan that has shown promise with optimism that the 2015 budget will return the hospital to the breakeven point this year. The Health Center is pushing forward following the recommendation by the CHC Board this fall and endorsed by the County Board of Commissioners to no longer pursue the possible sale of the hospital to a Tennessee-based health system corporation.
