By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
“I’m cautiously optimistic at this point “
That is Northfield Hospital and Clinics CEO Steve Underdahl when asked about the hospital’s financial status this year. For this year’s budget, NH&C had put together a plan to break even and after a slower summer, they are “running above the plan.” During the summer, the hospital has had fewer patients than usual, and Underdahl noted that the latter half of the year will see an increase in patients for two reasons: an increase in sickness and insurance:
“Robust activity that happens in medical centers happens at the end of the year. Some of it is just, that’s when we’re back together. That’s when we’re indoors. That’s when we give each other sickness and some of it is how insurance is structured now, so that people have these big deductibles and as they get towards the end of the year and they think they want their knee done. I want to get it done before the end of the year so we get this fourth quarter rush if you will.” – Northfield Hospital & Clinics CEO Steve Underdahl on the KYMN Morning Show
Since the pandemic, it has been increasingly difficult for hospitals to make budget projections because of the number of different variables; Underdahl cited variables outside of the hospital’s control, like the labor force and inflation, as one of the main complicating factors in creating a budget.
Underdahl has noted that “you can’t sort of shrink your way to prosperity” and has worked to increase the services offered by NH&C. At Farmington Clinic, NH&C has partnered with Tareen Dermatology, and the response has been positive from many patients.
Another example is NH&C’s birth center. Unlike other small-town hospitals, Northfield has invested in the facilities and staff to have a top-rate birth center. The average small town would have 250-300 births in their hospital, but Northfield has around 600. Additionally, people are choosing to travel to Northfield Hospital because of the low number of services available in their own communities. Services like this has helped the organization continue to see patients and thus maintain funding levels.
