Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Projecting Close to a $24 Million Dollar Shortfall–Can’t the Billionaires of Silicon Valley Help Their Hospitals Out a Little, Tattoo Parlor Fee Increases Won’t Cover It

Well I don’t think the Tattoo parlor fees will be able to make much of a dent here to help the hospital out.  This is the home of Intel, EMC and bunch of others and soon the 49ers.  The article says the uptick in cost was due to a large number of elderly (remember tech folks you’ll get there too one day:) and disabled patients.  Due to that fact doctors are being paid a little over time.  It appears there was a planned targeted savings here of $11 million that was figured into a budget.  Medi-Cal care went up quite a bit. 

Who’s providing the budgeting software here?  The article also says due to public safety that on that side they have $26 million more than planned, that would help and leave $ 2 million in change, right?   I realize this is a public hospital that offers residency programs and would think with all the money rolling around Silicon Valley that this hospital should be ok, right?  The website also says it has VIP suites.  BD

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In the first five months of the fiscal year, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s on-call and overtime pay for doctors took a staggering leap, going from an average of less than $20,000 a month in 2011-12 to $967,000 this fiscal year. The Board of Supervisors will discuss the $1 billion health agency’s drastic uptick in costs—4,835-percent increase in per-month, on-call wages— as well as other issues at Tuesday’s meeting.

For the first several months of the fiscal year, the agency’s expenses surpassed its budget, resulting in a net operating loss that totaled $35.8 million by the last count in November. Amazingly, that would still be a $2 million improvement from the previous fiscal year. However, changes have been made and VMC officials expect to end this fiscal year with a $23.9 million budget gap.

Outpatient medical costs this fiscal year jumped $11 million over budget, mostly because of an uptick in the number of seniors and disabled people needing outside services.

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/entries/2_11_13_valley_medical_center_board_supervisors_budget/

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