Health system forecasts budget deficit into 2021
Butler Health System officials are anticipating operating at a deficit for six or seven months into 2021.
“There is nothing more painful than affecting someone's job and their livelihood,” said Ken DeFurio, president and CEO of BHS, in a call with the statewide news media Tuesday. “It was incredibly hard to go through that exercise.”
Butler Health System announced Monday night it would lay off 57 positions, furloughing 10 others and close down its skilled nursing facility at Butler Memorial Hospital.
DeFurio said the system saw about $35 million in losses. He said this was offset by some CARES Act funding, but even after the relief funding, the hospital is looking at about $15 million in losses.
DeFurio said the system, which has two hospitals, Butler Memorial Hospital and Clarion Hospital, has been operating at about 70 percent of its normal volumes recorded before the pandemic.
The joint news conference call was hosted by the hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.
“We're asking policy makers to take note of the fact that this crisis is upon us now, it's unpredictable moving forward, and we should act swiftly to take care of these health care organizations,” said Andy Carter, president and CEO of the association.
Butler County saw only two cases added to it's coronavirus numbers Tuesday morning.Butler County increased from 230 confirmed cases Monday to 232, according to the health department.The Pennsylvania Department of Health added 362 additional positive cases to its COVID-19 total, which brings the statewide total to 79,483 Tuesday. Thirty-three more deaths were reported statewide, none in Butler County.The following numbers on the coronavirus pandemic were compiled from the regular news releases from the Department of Health.Tuesday's COVID-19 statistics:
Confirmed cases: 232Negative tests: 4,827Deaths: 12
New cases: 362Total cases: 79,483New deaths: 33Total deaths: 6,276Recovered: 75 percent
Allegheny: 1,979 confirmed cases; 42,435 negative; and 177 deathsArmstrong: 68 confirmed; 1,617 negative; and 5 deathsBeaver: 594 confirmed; 4,927 negative; and 77 deathsClarion: 31 confirmed; 804 negative; and 2 deathsLawrence: 79 confirmed; 1,950 negative; and 8 deathsMercer: 104 confirmed; 2,320 negative; and 6 deathsVenango: 14 confirmed and 805 negativeWestmoreland: 478 confirmed; 12,959 negative; and 38 deaths.
