The Erlanger Baroness campus.VIDEO
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FISCAL YEAR 2012-13* July: $1.8 million loss* August: $2 million profit* September: $906,000 loss* October: $730,000 profit* November: $726,527 profit* December: $1.1 million loss* January: $541,232 profit* February: $2.5 million loss* March: $4.9 million loss* April: $249,000 loss* May: $197,950 loss* June: Unreported until audit.
For the first time in three years, the budget passed by Erlanger Health System's board of trustees includes raises for employees.
All Erlanger employees except executives will see a 2 percent raises starting next year, and bedside nurses will see 3 percent raises, according to the hospitals 2013-2014 fiscal year budget.
The extra boost for nurses was decided upon after a hospital analysis showed wide disparities between registered nurses' salaries and other staff members, said new CEO Kevin Spiegel.
The raises will cost the hospital $2.6 million.
But Spiegel's outlook for next year also raises questions about other groups of Erlanger's staff, including housekeeping, food service, and in-campus transportation. Spiegel announced Thursday that he planned to bid out contracts for those services in the months ahead.
The budget approved by the board features a $2 million operating income budget, but ultimately projects $4.6 million loss for the hospital's bottom line next year after interest expenses and fair market accounting.
Officials said they had to factor in major changes from the Affordable Care Act during this year's budget sessions.
Spiegel said called the budget "realistic for where we are."
For more information, read Friday's Times Free Press.
Contact staff writer Kate Harrison at kharrison@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.