Year-End Message

Despite the challenges of a rapidly evolving and increasingly difficult healthcare climate, Yale New Haven remained focused on maintaining a safe environment and providing the highest level of clinical quality and patient experience throughout 2014.

In 2014, Yale New Haven Hospital experienced a year of high patient demand. Inpatient volume decreased slightly, with 78,529 patient discharges, but outpatient visits increased to 1.2 million – more than 9 percent higher than last year. YNHH’s “Y Access” patient transfer center grew significantly with an average of nearly 500 transfers per month for a total of 5,878 cases; a 5 percent increase over the previous year. To support more patient transfers, YNHH announced SkyHealth, an air ambulance service which is a joint venture between North Shore-Long Island Jewish Hospital and YNHHS.

Throughout 2014, YNHH's ongoing commitment to being an Employer of Choice was evidenced by additional investments in programs supporting an employee-friendly work environment, recognizing and rewarding employee accomplishments and providing opportunities for career development and advancement for a workforce now numbering over 12,000.

The Hospital built on its long history of helping those in need throughout the region. Yale New Haven provided over $477 million in total uncompensated care last year, more than $46 million more than last year. This included more than $285 million in Medicaid shortfalls and free and charity care, plus nearly $171 million in bad debt and Medicare shortfalls.

Despite a challenging healthcare environment, Yale New Haven Hospital experienced better than budgeted financial performance in 2014 and finished the year with an operating margin of 5.5 percent. This was due, in part, to high patient demand and $60.5 million in cost savings from the integration with the Hospital of Saint Raphael as well as by savings totaling $74.2 million from the System wide cost and value positioning initiative designed to increase efficiencies, reduce waste and drive down the cost of patient care. In fact the average patient care service provided in 2014 cost less than it did in 2012 and 2013. Strong revenue cycle management also contributed to the Hospital's performance.