American Hospital Association seeking help from Congress too

This is not really anything new today as we have all heard about the projects being delayed or cancelled based on not enough money, so now the AHA is swinging in to action as well. With the current state of affairs with the economy, the resources available to hospitals are also dwindling in size. BD

I have an entire series that gets updated from time to time called “Desperate Hospitals” and you can use the links below to view each update. This is the latest update and prior posts are listed below the article. BD

Desperate Hospitals – January 2009 Update

The American Hospital Association is lobbying for more help from the federal stimulus package being debated in Congress, arguing that hospitals are delaying or canceling upgrades that would benefit their communities.

Nationally, 45 percent of hospitals say they’ve delayed capital projects that had been scheduled for the next six months, and 13 percent said they’ve halted projects altogether, according to a survey by the association. Some respondents answered “yes” to both questions.

“Making these renovations and upgrades do more than just improve care. They create jobs,” said group CEO Rich Umbdenstock. “In tough economic times, health care is especially vital.”

“As the House considers their plan this week, we hope this survey helps them keep in mind the tremendous economic needs hospitals serve,” Umbdenstock said.

A provision in the House version of the stimulus package would help by giving incentives to banks that buy tax-exempt bonds, a key financing source for nonprofit hospitals, said AHA lobbyist Mike Rock.

“We’re hoping a provision like that can not only encourage banks to buy bonds but also in kind of a second-hand way get the market moving again,” he said in a conference call with reporters.