A smoothly integrated health records system contributed to UNC Health Care’space of reporting operating income of nearly four times the budget for this fiscal year.
At the beginning of the year, the health care system, based in Chapel Hill but with operations throughout North Carolina, planned an operating income of about $21 million through eight months. The latest financial reports show the hospital system recorded operating income of nearly $82 million through the first eight months.
All major health systems in the Triangle have implemented a health records system from Wisconsin-based health IT company Epic. UNC Health Care system spokeswoman Karen McCall says the implementation has happened more smoothly than expected, contributing to the strong operating income line.
Although total patient days came in nearly exactly in line with budget, total discharges were about 4 percent below expected. That means UNC Health Care is seeing fewer total patients than expected, but each patient is staying in the system longer, on average. Surgery cases were also below budget and only slightly above the same time last year.
Hospitals have been locked in a political battle battle that will rage on this summer. Private physician groups want North Carolina health care regulations changed so they can more easily open and operate independent surgery centers, something they argue will lower cost. The N.C. Hospital Association argues it needs those surgeries in order to cover expenses for areas like emergency preparedness that run up costs, but for which they are not always reimbursed. Hospital critics point to strong financial reports like the one from UNC Health Care to argue that hospitals should not cry poor, however, hospitals rightly counter that the financial performance of many rural hospitals is far less stellar.
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