Dear Readers, Welcome to the July issue of the National Hospital Flash Report. Big news, this was a tough month: Relative to last month, profitability was down, volumes were down, average length of stay was up, revenue performance fell short of meeting budget expectations, and expenses were up. We address these issues in this month’s report, as well as possible contributing factors and insight into how hospitals can stay vigilant in monitoring their performance.  In this month’s Spotlight, we explore a methodological approach to assess variability in key performance indicators and operations and related implications. This analysis is especially appropriate and timely given this month’s performance. We had strong growth in subscribers over the last month and have continued to receive a great deal of feedback, which we will be incorporating.

Thank you,