Hospital margins, ED visits up, length of stay down in April, Kaufman report reveals

Editor's Note

The median hospital margin of 3.8% for April is an improvement over the previous month and year-over-year, according to the latest National Hospital Flash Report from Kaufman Hall.

Compiled by Kaufman and Syntellis Performance Solutions (now part of Strata), the monthly report analyzes 3 years’ worth of both actual and budget data from more than 1,300 hospitals of all types throughout the united states. Key takeaways of the most recent data, released June 3, include:

1. Outpatient revenue and OR minutes increased. Along with margin data, the improvements paint April as a relatively strong month
2. Average length of stay decreased amid returns to normal care patterns and improved post-acute care transitions
3. Emergency department visits rose back to pre-2020 levels.