Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Christie Proposes Moratorium On Nonprofit Hospitals' Property Taxes
The Wall Street Journal: Christie Urges Hospital Tax Freeze
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie proposed a two-year moratorium Friday to stop local governments from collecting property taxes from nonprofit hospitals. Mr. Christie’s proposal comes nearly nine months after a court ruling paved the way for localities to pursue these taxes. The hospitals have maintained that their nonprofit status exempts them from paying property taxes. The governor said he would advance legislation to put on hold municipalities’ legal efforts to recover the property taxes from the hospitals. (Haddon, 3/18)
The Orlando Sentinel: Over Capacity, Florida Hospital Orlando Temporarily Stops Admitting Patients
Florida Hospital Orlando had to stop admitting patients, put elective surgeries on hold and divert ambulances from its emergency department earlier this week when it went over capacity. "In my 24 years I have never seen us close the emergency department and stop doing elective surgeries," the hospital's chief medical officer, Dr. Neil Finkler, said Friday. (Miller, 3/18)
The Washington Post: Bowser’s Pick To Lead St. Elizabeths Came From Troubled Hospital In S.D.
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s choice to lead the District’s public psychiatric institution had only one other hospital stint on his résumé: chief executive of a hospital on an Indian reservation where emergency services were halted because they posed a risk to patients, according to federal and tribal officials. James Edward Kyle, 50, who took over as chief executive of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast Washington on March 2, also was found unqualified for a job at the University of the District of Columbia after regulators discovered he lacked the proper credentials, according to records kept by the District’s Board of Nursing. (Nirappil, 3/18)
The Chicago Sun-Times: Presence Health Sizing Up Layoffs After 2015 Losses
Presence Health is likely to lay off workers and leave hundreds of job openings unfilled after posting a bigger-than-expected operating loss in 2015. “Although our liquidity is secure and we have a strong balance sheet, we are committed to improving our operations in 2016,” Michael Englehart, Presence Health president and chief executive, said in a statement Thursday. (3/19)
