Becker's Hospital Review

8 CFO / FINANCE Florida hospital to close billing department, lay off 63 employees By Kelly Gooch H oly Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will lay off 63 employees and close its billing department this year, according to the Sun-Sentinel. e hospital notified Florida officials in early Jan- uary that it will lay off 31 workers on or within two weeks of Jan. 21, and another 32 later this year, the newspaper reported, citing a letter to the state's Department of Economic Opportunity. e hospital plans to close its revenue department in May, according to the Sun-Sentinel. e layoffs affect financial services analyst, manager and co- ordinator positions, as well as some employees who handle patient accounts. News about the layoffs and billing department closure come nearly one year aer Livonia, Mich.- based Trinity Health, the parent company of Holy Cross, announced immediate and long-term plans to restructure operations. e health system's efforts — which include cre- ation of three centralized patient billing service centers — will affect nearly 1,700 employees at Trinity Health's 94 hospitals and more than 100 care sites. "Trinity Health announced in February 2019 our decision to consolidate patient business service centers to strengthen billing operations and pro- vide patients with a more transparent and simpli- fied billing experience," a statement from the health system read. "By the time the transition is complete across the system, Trinity Health will have stan- dardized patient accounting and related informa- tion systems and consolidated hospital patient bill- ing offices into three patient service centers." "We deeply value the work and dedication of our service center teams, and we have worked closely with them throughout the consolidation process. Consistent with our colleague transition practices, we are offering affected colleagues the opportunity to relocate to one of the new patient business service centers, seek other positions lo- cally or elsewhere in Trinity Health, or accept a severance package and outplacement services that provide support in a manner consistent with our Catholic identity and our system's core values," Trinity Health added. n West Virginia health system files for bankruptcy By Ayla Ellison T homas Health, a two-hospital system based in South Charles- ton, W.Va., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Jan. 10, according to a news release. The bankruptcy process will help Thomas Health address its long-term debt and pursue strategic opportunities. In an affidavit filed in the bankruptcy case, Thomas Health President and CEO Daniel J. Lauffer cited several reasons the health system is facing financial challenges. "Due to macro issues negatively affecting the delivery of healthcare in West Virginia, implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the decline of the coal industry and corresponding job losses, Medicaid expansion, re- duced reimbursement rates for healthcare services, patient outmigration, as well as a host of other issues arising from changes in the healthcare laws over the past decade, the debtors have experienced significant financial challenges in recent years," read Mr. Lauffer's affidavit. "Those challenges coupled with the burden of servicing an overwhelming amount of indebt- edness, have impaired the debtors' ability to meet important working capital and operational needs, maintain ordinary course business rela- tionships, pursue strategic opportunities, recruit medical professionals, and otherwise reinvest in their operations and facilities in order to grow revenue to further their mission." Officials said Thomas Health is not closing and there are no planned changes to services or employment. "We appreciate our community's support as we continue serving the best interests of our patients, employees, physicians and all those whose liveli- hoods will be positively impacted by Thomas Health's mission to each of communities that we proudly serve," Mr. Lauffer said in the news release. n Nurses lose bid to keep Washington hospital open By Ayla Ellison A bankruptcy judge on Jan. 14 denied a request from the Wash- ington State Nurses Association to reconsider an order allowing Astria Regional Medical Center in Yakima, Wash., to close, accord- ing to TV station KIMA. Astria Health, a three-hospital system that filed for bankruptcy last May, re- ceived approval from the bankruptcy court on Jan. 8 to close Astria Re- gional Medical Center. Two days later, the Washington State Nurses Association, which represents 140 nurses at the hospital, filed an emer- gency motion urging the judge to reconsider the order allowing the hospital to close. During a hearing Jan. 14, Astria Health's lawyer argued the union's re- quest was moot because there are no patients left at the hospital in Yaki- ma, and the hospital has surrendered its license to the state, according to the report. The judge denied the union's request, saying Astria has already explored every option to keep the hospital open. n

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