Q3 Earnings Reports - Top Hospital Chains

Despite what appeared to be a slow financial start for hospitals in 2009, an analysis by research firm Thomson Reuters concluded that profits shot upward dramatically into the second quarter of this year. Still, about 20 percent of hospitals had negative total margins during that same period, putting somewhat of a damper on things.

So how did hospital chains fare in the third quarter of 2009? Do any systems have anything to look forward to? We took a closer look at the earnings reports for five of the largest, publicly-trade hospital chains to find out more:

• Community Health Systems (CYH)


• Tenet Healthcare (THC)


• Health Management Associates (HMA)


• Universal Health Services (UHS)


• LifePoint Hospitals (LPNT)