>N.J. hospitals’ operating margins creep up
New Jersey’s hospitals saw operating margins rise slightly in 2010 despite a weak economy.
While 70 percent of the state’s hospitals had modest gains, 30 percent remain in the red.
Operating margins — or money left over after all patient expenses are paid — were 2.3 percent in 2010, compared with 1.7 percent in 2009, according to an annual report released Monday by the New Jersey Hospital Association.
Kerry McKean Kelly, spokeswoman for the association, declined to release the names of New Jersey hospitals with operating deficits.
The report attributed the slight uptick to aggressive cost-reduction strategies, such as layoffs, service cutbacks, hiring and wage freezes, and postponing or downsizing capital projects. (Stilwell, Gannett)
