Hospital showed weak financial performance in January

Winter weather may have had an effect on Winneshiek Medical Center's financial performance in January.

WMC Chief Financial Officer Lynn Luloff says total operating revenue for the hospital was $4,190,370 in January.  That represents a decline--largely because patient volume was down.

At the same time that fewer patients were visiting the hospital in January, expenses were 5 percent higher than budgeted.  One item hospital officials point to is an unexpected purchase of $22,000 worth of diesel fuel that was necessary during the coldest days of January, when the hospital's natural gas supplier told WMC it would have to switch away from using natural gas as heating fuel.  The hospital saves money because it has interruptible service and avoided having to pay a surcharge for its natural gas, but the $22,000 diesel fuel purchase affected January's budget.

After $4,247,900 in total operating expenses, Winneshiek Medical Center recorded an operating loss of $57,530 in January.