The Erlanger Baroness campus in Chattanooga.

Erlanger hospital continued to tighten its losses last month, but a nearly $200,000 loss in May means hospital leaders have braced to end this fiscal year with a deficit.

In the public hospital's monthly budget and finance committee meeting Monday, reports showed that the hospital is currently $9.8 million in the red.

Hospital leaders pointed out that at this time last year, the hospital was running a $15.2 million deficit.

"Operationally, we're in much better shape," said committee chairman Donnie Hutcherson after the meeting. "Somebody once told me you turn a battleship around real quick; you turn an aircraft carrier around very slowly. What we've got right here is an aircraft carrier. And it's going to take a longer time to turn it around."

Chief financial officer Britt Tabor said patient volumes were down for the month.