HCA Healthcare has released its second quarter earnings results, which surpassed Wall Street expectations but did not reach the Zacks Investment Research estimate of $14.87 billion in revenue.
The Nashville-based hospital conglomerate saw revenues totaling $14.82 billion, up from $14.44 in the second quarter of 2021. Net income attributable to HCA Healthcare totaled $1.16 billion, or $3.90 per diluted share, as compared to $1.45 billion or $4.36 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2021.
On Friday's conference call, HCA CEO Sam Hazen said recruitment was up and turnover was down for the company. The amount of contract labor used and the pay for those contractors was lower than it was in the first quarter, as anticipated.
Patient volumes are returning to pre-pandemic levels, though growth for inpatient admissions is at a more modest level than previously indicated. Capacity was higher in the second quarter, Hazen added, though there were points in which staffing shortages made for constrained capacity and prevented transfers.
“Many aspects of our business were positive considering the challenges we faced with the labor market and other inflationary pressures on costs,” said Hazen. “Our teams executed well as they have in the past through other difficult environments. Again, I want to thank them for their dedication and excellent work.”
During the second quarter, HCA’s nursing college, Galen College of Nursing, announced a new campus in Asheville, North Carolina. The hospital giant also faced a legal challenge from the Federal Trade Commission over its intention to acquire five Utah hospitals.
HCA (Ticker: HCA) shares saw a 12 percent jump on the day of the second quarter earnings conference call. Shares were trading at $197.78 as of press time Monday.
Vanderbilt Wilson County seeking trauma certification
Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital is on its way to becoming a Level 3 trauma center, The Tennessean reported. The Lebanon hospital will undergo a review of its trauma patient care over the next year.
This distinction would offer additional trauma-trained surgeons and capabilities but no additional beds.
BLOOMINGTON — Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus is offering a 12-week Certified Medical Assistant (CCMA) training course at no cost for eligible students that starts Aug. 23. Grant funding with the state’s Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant covers costs for qualified participants.
The CCMA course is a short-term, non-credit workforce training opportunity that quickly prepares graduates to qualify for local, high-demand jobs in the field. Classes are held in the evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from Aug. 23 to Nov. 10, with a one-week break.
For individuals who may not qualify for funding, the cost of the course is $2,599 and includes course materials, instruction, and the certification test to qualify for employment.
For questions or to get registered, contact Ivy Tech Bloomington’s workforce training office at 812-330-6042 or bloomington-workforcetraining@ivytech.edu. For more information about short-term, non-credit training opportunities, visit www.ivytech.edu/bloomington/ccec.
Ivy Tech Community College offers more than 70 career and four-year transfer programs, with courses that start multiple times per year for quicker entry and graduation.
Chinese retailer Qdama has signed up with the Global Seafood Alliance to stock Best Aquaculture Practices-certified seafood in its stores.
Qdama, commonly referred to as Qiandama, a play on the Mandarin name “Auntie Qian,” is a Guangzhou-based chain that made its name with a pledge not to sell meat kept longer than one day in its stores.
The firm, which also sells seafood and vegetables, will stock BAP-certified seafood in several hundred franchised stores nationwide. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Qdama Managing Director Feng Weihua said his firm had embraced BAP certification as a certain of product safety for its seafood customers. The results of a survey of 3,000 Chinese consumers by GSA published recently suggest that food safety is by far the highest priority in their purchasing decisions.
Irish Xin Wang, director of business development at GSA’s China office, told SeafoodSource the signing “highlights Qdama's support sustainability [in] aquaculture.”
“Though food safety will still be the first concern for most Chinese retailer and foodservices, sustainability of seafood is also a winner,” Wang said. “I hope with the effort of GSA and GSA's partners, we can together speed up the process and raise recognition of sustainable aquaculture in China.”
Qdama has yet to follow through its plan, announced in 2021, of launching an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Recently, the company also announced plans to scale back a nationwide expansion and will instead focus on the country’s wealthy south.
Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons
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